Dill Sauce (Koprová Omáčka)

For the egg version, hard-boil the eggs for 8–10 minutes from the boil, cool in ice water and peel; remove the boiled beef from the stock, strain the stock and set it aside for the sauce, and slice the meat.

In a thick-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, add the flour and stir constantly for about a minute, until the roux starts to bubble and turns light golden.

Pour in a third of the warm stock and whisk vigorously until you get a thick, smooth mixture with no lumps, then add another third of the stock, stir, and bring to a boil.

Pour in the remaining stock, stir, cover with a lid and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam from the surface.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring the vinegar to a boil and reduce it to about a quarter of its volume — this will mellow its sharpness and leave just a gentle tang.

Stir the cream, reduced vinegar and sugar into the finished sauce, simmer for another 2 minutes and adjust salt and black pepper to taste.

Finely chop the fresh dill, stir it into the sauce and immediately remove the pan from the heat — prolonged cooking robs dill of its bright color and aroma; let the sauce stand covered for 5 minutes.

Slice the boiled beef or cut the eggs in half, arrange on a plate, generously ladle the hot sauce over them and serve at once.