Sour rye soup with sausage and egg (Żurek)

1. For the starter (zakwas), mix the rye flour in a jar with the lukewarm boiled water and 2 halved garlic cloves, cover with muslin and leave to ferment in a warm place for 4-5 days, stirring daily; it's ready when it smells pleasantly sour. You can also use a shop-bought żurek starter.

2. In a pot, bring the stock to the boil with the raw white sausage, bay leaves and allspice and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes; lift out the sausage and slice it.

3. Meanwhile render the diced bacon in a frying pan, add the finely chopped onion and the remaining 2 crushed garlic cloves and fry until golden; add to the stock with the diced potatoes and cook for 15 minutes.

4. Shake the starter and pour it into the soup, stirring constantly; add the marjoram and cook for 5 minutes until it thickens.

5. Temper the sour cream with a little hot soup, stir it in, return the sausage and season with salt, pepper and a little grated horseradish to taste. Meanwhile hard-boil the eggs and halve them.

6. Serve each bowl with half a hard-boiled egg and freshly grated horseradish; in Poland at Easter it's even served in a hollowed-out bread "bowl".

Tip: Żurek is the king of soups at the Polish Easter breakfast; its sourness comes only from the rye starter, so don't add vinegar.