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Choucroute Garni

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 8

Ingredients

1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon whole juniper berries
4 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole caraway seeds
2 dried bay leaves
6 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 pound double-smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
1/2 pound fresh bacon or salt pork (in 1 piece)
1 1/4 pounds smoked pork butt, sliced crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces
4 pounds fresh sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 bottle (750 ml) dry Riesling
8 medium red or Yukon Gold potatoes, or a combination (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled if desired
8 small carrots, peeled
3 coarse-textured smoked pork sausages, such as Hungarian kielbasa, bauerwurst, or smoked bratwurst (12 ounces total)
3 fine-textured pork-and-beef sausages, such as knockwurst or frankfurters (12 ounces total)
3 mild-spiced fine-textured white veal-and-pork sausages, such as weisswurst or bockwurst (12 ounces total)
Fresh parsley sprigs, for garnish
Variety of mustards, for serving

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make a spice bundle: Place spices, bay leaves, and garlic on a square of cheesecloth; tie into a bundle with kitchen twine.

    Step 2

    Heat oil in a very large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add bacon, pork butt, and spice bundle. Cover with sauerkraut. Add wine and enough water to come 1 inch below sauerkraut. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover, and simmer 45 minutes.

    Step 3

    Add potatoes and carrots. Cover; cook until almost tender, about 20 minutes.

    Step 4

    Using a skewer or the tip of a paring knife, poke a few holes into each sausage to prevent them from bursting. Place kielbasa in a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, turning often, until browned, about 8 minutes. Put all sausages into the Dutch oven. Cover; cook until heated through, about 15 minutes.

    Step 5

    Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausages and vegetables to a plate. Drain sauerkraut, and arrange on a serving platter. Arrange sausages and vegetables on top. Garnish with parsley; serve with mustards.

The cookbook cover with a blue background and fine typeface.
Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group. Buy the full book from Amazon.
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