Polish Dill Sauce or Sos Koperkowy

To say that Poles love Dill is an understatement.  Dill is used liberally on buttered potatoes.  In fact, baby reds boiled in thier jackets in the spring covered with butter and dill is probably one of every Poles favorite dishes.  Dill is also commonly used on fish, in stuffings for meat, some pickles, Compound Butters, soups, I could keep going. 

Sos (pronounced "Saws" and meaning "Sauce") Koperkowy (pronounced "Kopper-KOV-ih" and meaning "Dill") is a quintessential Polish sauce.  It can be paired with many dishes, such as meatballs, mushroom and rice balls, fish, mashed potatoes, and chicken.  To many Poles, this sauce tastes like summer.  Once you see how delicious and simple it is, I am sure it will become a family favorite.

Ingredients:

3-4 tablespoons Dill (fresh or dry)
2 cups Broth (Vegetable, Chicken or beef, or drippings from meat dish, degreased, or even just water)
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Flour
Salt
Pepper

Optional: 
2 tablespoons of Lemon Juice (delicious over fish) or
1/2 cup Sour Cream or
3 tablespoons Cream



First, if you are using dried Dill, place it in a bowl and add a 1/2 cup of boiling water to soften it and allow the oils to be released.  Set to the side for a few minutes.

Melt the Butter.  Add the Flour and begin to stir.  This is called the Roux and is the base to most sauces.  Also, add pepper at this time.

Once it begins to bubble, add the broth * and stir until bubbly. 

Allow to cook for another minute or two, until thickened. 

If using dried Dill in the hot water, add now and heat back to bubbling and thickened.  Otherwise, remove from heat and add the fresh Dill.  If you are using Cream, Sour Cream, or Lemon Juice (but not all together in the sauce!), now is when you would add them.  Season with salt to taste.

I served this sauce with Polish Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Peas.  Again, if you are wondering whether a picky eater will enjoy this, my children and several picky food friends lap this right up! 

* If using drippings from a dish, such as I did with Onion Stuffed Chicken Legs, remove the liquids from bottom of baking or frying pan and place in freezer or refrigerator for a few minutes until grease is at top of liquid.  Use spoon to carefully scoop out grease, leaving the liquids underneath.

Smacznego!



Also, some interesting facts about Dill or Koper:

The leaves are collected in the spring and dried.

The seeds are collected in the fall for use as another flavor in cooking. 

The typical Polish family garden will usually have this plant growing with their cucumbers.

For those Poles who do not have a garden or who cannot tend their garden every day, Dill is easily and commonly grown in windowsills.