French Choucroute Recipes

CHOUCROUTE ROYALE (BRAISED SAUERKRAUT)

Steps:

• Drain the sauerkraut and soak in cold water for 15 to 20 minutes. Taking it by small handfuls, squeeze out as much water as you can. Pick it apart to separate the strands.
• Remove the rind and slice the bacon into 1/2 inch cubes about 2 inches long. Simmer it in 1 quart of water for 10 minutes and drain.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Cook bacon, carrots, and onions in butter slowly in the covered casserole for 10 minutes without browning. Stir in the sauerkraut and when itis well covered with the fat and vegetables, cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes more.
• Bury the herbs and spices in the saurkraut. Pour in the wine, and enough stock to just cover the sauerkraut. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Lay a buttered round of wax paper on top of sauerkraut. Cover and set in the middle of preheated oven. Simmer slowly for 3 1/2 hours.
• Brown assorted meats in skillet. Bury them in the casserole while the sauerkraut is still braising.
• Continue to simmer in oven for another 1 1/2hours. (5 hours total).

ALSATIAN CHOUCROUTE

Steps:

• Wash sauerkraut thoroughly, put aside. In a rondeau melt the duck fat and saute the onion until tender, add garlic bay leaves, juniper berries and thyme. Saute until golden brown, deglaze with Reisling wine. Add 1/2 of the sauerkraut, place bacon slab and ham shanks in the middle and then top with remaining sauerkraut. Pour chicken stock over making sure it covers the sauerkraut (if not enough, add water). Cover the pan with foil and place in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 1 1/2 hours. Wash red bliss potatoes and steam whole for 30 to 40 minutes. Peel potatoes and set aside. Cut sausages in half and warm in boiling water. Place pork chops in oven to warm. Take sauerkraut out of the oven and remove bacon and ham shanks. Slice the bacon in half. Remove pork chops out of oven. Place sauerkraut in the center of a large oval tray, place all meats around sauerkraut, place bacon and ham shanks, on top of sauerkraut. Place warm potatoes around with the meat, Serve Dijon mustard on the side.

CHOUCROUTE AU CHAMPAGNE

Steps:

• Line a deep kettle with slices of salt pork, add the sliced onions and chopped garlic. Put the sauerkraut on top with a large piece of salt pork and grind plenty of pepper over it. Add just enough champagne or white wine to cover the sauerkraut. Simmer on top of the stove or in a 300°F oven for 4 to 6 hours. The longer it cooks, the better it will be.
• Smoked pork loin is a natural accompaniment for choucroute. Roast it for 10 to 15 minutes per pound or until thoroughly heated through. Bratwurst, vaurenwurst, knockwurst, and good well seasoned frankfurters are also tasty additions. Use any or all these meats. To serve, heap the choucroute in the middle of a platter and arrange slices of meat around it.
• If the sauerkraut was cooked in white wine, place half a bottle or two splits of champagne in the center of the sauerkraut. At the table, give the bottle a good shake and remove corks so the champagne gushes out over the sauerkraut. Serve with plain boiled potatoes. With this, drink champagne or Riesling.

ALSATIAN CHOUCROUTE

Steps:

• Wash the sauerkraut in cold water, and drain. Wash and drain again, squeezing it to eliminate as much water as possible.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, and heat the duck fat or oil in a large ovenproof casserole.
• Season the duck legs with salt and freshly ground pepper, and brown them on both sides. Remove the duck legs to a plate, leaving the duck fat that has accumulated in the pan. Add the onions, the garlic, and the carrots, and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Scatter the sauerkraut over the vegetables, and stir to incorporate. Tuck the duck legs into the sauerkraut, then add the juniper berries or gin, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Pour in the white wine and enough chicken broth almost to cover the sauerkraut. Bring to a boil on top of the stove, cover, and remove to the oven to cook for 2 hours, or until the liquid is absorbed by the sauerkraut.
• While the sauerkraut is cooking, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water, and then peel. Sauté the sausages or hot dogs in a hot pan, or boil them for about 5 minutes.
• Take the sauerkraut out of the oven and taste, adjusting the seasoning if necessary. Add the potatoes, sausages or hot dogs, and corned beef to the casserole, and return to the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the corned beef and slice against the grain. Serve on a large platter with piles of sauerkraut, duck legs, sausages, corned beef slices, and potatoes, and with a variety of mustards or mustard sauce and horseradish alongside.
• Put the mustard and the vinegar in a small bowl and stir together. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and slowly whisk in the oil.
• Just before serving, stir in the shallots, chives, parsley, and, if you like, the pickle.

CHOUCROUTE GARNIE

Steps:

• Drain sauerkraut, reserving juice. Rinse in two changes of cold water, wring out well, and set aside. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a large casserole,at least 5 quarts,cook salt pork or bacon over medium heat until golden. Remove,draining well.Leave fat in casserole. Add onions and carrots, and saute until soft. Add garlic and apple, and cook, stirring, several minutes. Add sauerkraut, and return pork or bacon to casserole, tucking it into sauerkraut. Add stock and wine. Bring to a simmer.
• Add bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves and juniper berries. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover,and bake 2 hours.
• Tuck sausages into sauerkraut. If sauerkraut looks dry, add stock. If sauerkraut needs more bite, add a little reserved juice. Cover,and bake 20 minutes.
• Place smoked pork on sauerkraut. Cut ham slices in half, and add them to top. Cover with parchment cut to fit inside casserole and placed directly on ingredients. Cover pot,and return to oven 15 minutes.
• While meats cook, simmer potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain.
• Serve choucroute directly from casserole, placing potatoes on top first. Or spread sauerkraut on a platter, and top with meats and potatoes. Serve with mustard.

CHOUCROUTE GARNI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large flameproof casserole dish or heavy-based pan. Fry the onions for 10-15 mins until soft. Add the wine and vinegar, along with the herbs and spices, and reduce to a glaze.
• Add the carrots, celery and garlic to the pan, mix well, then lay the wedges of cabbage on top. Snuggle the sausages and bacon between the cabbage chunks before pouring over the stock. Put the pan on the heat, bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 1 hr 30 mins, stirring halfway through.
• Once cooked, serve in bowls with mashed potato, if you like.

CLASSIC CHOUCROUTE

Steps:

• Boil ham hocks in unsalted water until tender, at least 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, wash sauerkraut in cold water; drain. Wash again, in hot water; drain and squeeze dry.
• In a heavy, ovenproof pot, melt 3 tablespoons of the fat over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook it until soft and tender; do not brown. Add wine and 1 cup water, then bacon. Cover,and cook 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Season sauerkraut with pepper and a tiny bit of salt; add to pot,covering bacon. Combine garlic, juniper berries, caraway and bay leaf in cheesecloth and tie into a sachet. Bury this in the sauerkraut. Lay a circle of parchment paper directly over sauerkraut, cover, bring to a boil, transfer to oven and bake 1 hour.
• Add pork loin, top with potatoes, and return to oven for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
• About 15 minutes before potatoes are done,add bratwursts and frankfurters to the pot with hocks. Reduce heat to simmer, and heat through. Heat remaining fat in a skillet, and carefully brown blood sausages (they burst if overcooked).
• Add kirsch to sauerkraut; taste and add salt if necessary. Discard herb sachet.
• To serve, slice bacon and pork loin.Cut sausages and hocks into pieces. Put sauerkraut on large platter with meats and potatoes on top and around it. Serve with hot mustard and beer or white Alsatian wine.