Recipe Archives->Casseroles->Choucroute Garni 01

Choucroute Garnie

3 pounds sauerkraut
1/2 pound chunk bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup onions, thinly sliced
parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
10 juniper berries (or 1/4 cup gin)
1 1/2 cups beef bouillon
3/4 cup water
1 cup dry white wine
salt
1 2 to 3 pound smoked pork butt
1 kielbasa
4 knockwurst
3 smoked bratwurst
3 unsmoked veal sausages

Drain the sauerkraut.  Place in a large bowl and cover with cold
water.  Soak for 20 minutes, changing the water twice.  Drain again.
Then take up large handfuls and squeeze out as much water as
possible.  Set aside.  Remove the rind from the bacon and cut into
strips about two inches long and one half inch wide.  Blanch bacon
by placing in a saucepan and covering with two quarts of cold water.
Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes.  Drain.  Melt the butter
in a two and one half or three quart casserole.  Add the blanched
bacon, carrots and onion and cook slowly, covered, for 10 minutes.
Do not let the vegetables brown.  Stir in the sauerkraut, breaking
up any clumps in it.  Cover and cook on top of the range slowly
for 10 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 325F.  Tie the parsley, bay
leaf, peppercorns, and juniper berries in cheesecloth, and bury
them in the sauerkraut.  Pour in the bouillon, water, wine and gin
if you are using it.  Add salt to taste.  Continue cooking on top
of hte stove until it comes to a boil, then place in the oven and
cook, covered, for 4 hours.  Check now and then to be sure the
sauerkraut is not too dry.  If all the liquid has cooked away, add
a little more bouillon or wine.  The sauerkraut should just bubble.

Start the meat two and one half hours before serving.  Place the
pork butt in a pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, two hours.  Start the sausages
one hour before serving time.  Place the kielbasa in a large pot
with cold water to cover.  Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered,
20 minutes.  Add the knockwurst and smoked bratwurst to the kielbasa
pot.  Bring to a boil again, the simmer 10 minutes.  Add the veal
sausages and simmer 5 minutes longer.  Turn off the heat and let
stand 5 minutes more.  Remove the herb bouquet before transferring
the choucroute to a platter.

Printable version: choucroute-garni01.txt.