Choucroute garni |
Serves 6 |
Ingredients:
|
| 2 | pounds | sauerkraut (refrigerated jars or bags; DO NOT USE CANNED!!) |
| 1/2 | pound | diced bacon |
| 1 | large | yellow onion, grated |
| 1 | cup | carrots, thinly sliced |
| 1 | | tart unpeeled, cored & grated cooking apple (Granny Smith is great) |
| 1 | Tbsp | caraway seeds (optional, but if you leave 'em out you'll regret it) |
| 4 | parsley | sprigs |
| 2 | | bay leaf |
| 6 | | peppercorns |
| 10 | | juniper berries (or 1/4 cup gin) |
| 3-4 | medium | potatoes, peeled & quartered |
| 4 | cups | chicken stock, plus more if needed |
| 1 | cup | dry white wine |
| 1‡ | pounds | link sausage (your preference, I like bratwurst) |
| 6 | | smoked pork chops |
|  |
Method: |
| 1. Soak the sauerkraut in cold water for 1/2 hour. While it's soaking, fry the bacon in a large skillet, then add onion & carrots to the bacon fat. Continue cooking until veggies are half-cooked and slightly browned. Remove from heat. |
| 2. Drain the kraut and squeeze out the excess water until the kraut is quite dry. Spray a non-reactive covered roaster or a large crockpot w/cooking spray. If using oven, preheat to 325ƒF. Add kraut & stir in apple, bacon & veggies, and caraway seeds. |
| 3. Tie up juniper berries, parsley, peppercorns, & bay leaves in cheesecloth, bury in kraut. Bury the potatoes in the kraut as well. Pour in wine, (gin if using), and chicken stock to just cover kraut. |
| 4. Layer sausages over kraut, and pork chops over sausage. Cover and cook for 5-6 hours (on low in crockpot), adding chicken stock as necessry to prevent kraut from drying out (but don't add any last 30 minutes of cooking time -- you want the kraut to absorb the liquid but not dry out). |
| 5. Remove cheesecloth bag and serve w/grainy mustard, brown bread, and a nice white wine or beer. |
| From {johnsondeb} |
