Lenten Žur Zhur

Combine oat flour or husked oats with 0.5 liters of cold water in a bowl or jar, stir well, cover loosely, and leave at room temperature to ferment for 24–48 hours until the liquid smells distinctly sour.

After fermentation, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth, pressing the solids to extract as much liquid as possible, and discard the spent oat mass.

Peel and finely chop the onion into small, even dice.

Heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden.

Pour the strained oat liquid into a saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent the starch from settling and scorching.

Add the sautéed onion along with its oil to the simmering broth, season with salt to taste, and stir to combine.

Continue to simmer the žur over low heat, stirring constantly, until the broth thickens slightly to a smooth, silky consistency, about 5–7 minutes.

Remove from heat, adjust seasoning if needed, and ladle the žur into bowls; serve hot, traditionally accompanied by boiled potatoes or rye bread.