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A typical
choucroute garnie. |
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Choucroute garnie (French for dressed sauerkraut) is a famous Alsatian recipe for preparing sauerkraut with
sausages and other salted meats and charcuterie, and often potatoes. |
Although sauerkraut is a traditionally German and Eastern European dish, the
French annexation of Alsace and Lorraine following the Peace of Westphalia in
1648 brought this dish to the attention of French chefs and it has since been
widely adopted in France.
In principle, there is no fixed recipe for this dish - any preparation of hot
sauerkraut with meat and potatoes could qualify - but in practice there are
certain traditions, favourite recipes, and stereotypical garnishes that are more
easily called choucroute garnie than others.
Traditional recipes call for three
types of sausage: Frankfurt sausages, Strasbourg sausages, and Montbéliard
sausages. Fatty, inexpensive or salted cuts of pork also often form a part of
choucroute garnie, including ham hocks, pork knuckles and shoulders, back bacon
and slices of salt pork. Other recipes call for fish or goose meat, but this is
far less typical.
The sauerkraut itself is usually heated with a glass of Riesling or other dry
white wines or stock, and goose or pork fat. In some recipes, it may also be
cooked with chopped onion and sliced apples. Every traditional recipe includes black peppercorns, cloves, garlic,
juniper berries, onions, and potatoes; most include bay leaves and wine.
Like
cassoulet,
pot au feu, and so many other examples of France's regional
cuisine, choucroute's origin is in a traditional, inexpensive dish, but grand
versions (such as Choucroute Royale, made with Champagne instead of Riesling),
and grand ingredients (such as
foie gras
and wild game) also exist.
Choucroute garnie is available throughout France in canned or microwavable
ready-to-eat form. A Hungarian version of choucroute garnie includes stuffed
cabbage leaves in addition to the other ingredients. Shredded cabbage can also
be added along with the sauerkraut in order to produce a somewhat less acidic
version.
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Recipe for
Choucroute of white cabbage |
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125g butter
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a handful of fine, diced Alsace bacon or smoked streaky bacon
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1 white cabbage, finely sliced
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750ml white wine
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250ml good-quality white wine vinegar
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bouquet garni (garlic/thyme/rosemary/bay leaf)
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bouquet garni (star anise/cinnamon stick/coriander seeds/juniper berries) tied
in a muslin cloth
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100g honey or chutney or jam
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Serves 4 |
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Recipe Cooking and Preparation
Method |
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Heat the butter in a pan, add the bacon and gently sauté until lightly coloured.
Pour over the white wine and white wine vinegar and add both bouquets garnis.
Cover with a tight fitting lid. Gently simmer the cabbage until most of the
liquid has evaporated, then add honey and check the seasoning. |
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Food Serving Suggestion |
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Serve with
grilled continental sausage or simmered ham hock, carrots and potatoes. |
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