Recipe for Traditional Alsatian Sauerkraut

Alsatian sauerkraut is without doubt the most famous dish of Alsatian gastronomy. It is the "choucroute garnie" which designates the complete dish made up of sauerkraut and an assortment of meats and charcuterie.

It is best served with a dry white wine, preferably Riesling, or a beer, which goes perfectly with it.

Ingredients for 6 people:

• 1.5 kg raw sauerkraut
• 1 whole onion + 1/2 head of garlic
• 150 g fresh bacon
• 150 g smoked bacon
• 400 g salted collet
• 4 Montbéliard sausages
• 4 Knacks sausages (2 pairs)
• 8 medium-sized potatoes
• 25 cl Riesling white wine
• Sauerkraut spices (bay leaves, juniper berries, salt and pepper)
• 700 g smoked chuck
• 1 smoked ham

Preparation: 45 min, Cooking time: 3 hours (approx.)

Recipe for Alsatian Sauerkraut :

Start by preheating your oven to 210° (thermostat 6/7).

Boil 3 to 4 litres of water in a saucepan and immerse the smoked pork shoulder and the ham to cook them for about 1h30, topping up with water if necessary. The water must completely cover the meat to give it more flavour.

Set the cooked meat aside and keep the cooking liquid. To check that the meat is well cooked, stick a fork into it, it should penetrate the meat without much resistance.

Then wash the raw sauerkraut 2 to 3 times in cold water. (The washing water should remain clear after the last washing), then drain the sauerkraut and set it aside for the next step.

Start chopping the onion, put a little oil in a pan and fry the onion over a low heat until it becomes translucent (it should not brown or blacken).

Spread half of the sauerkraut in an Alsatian Terrine (Baeckeoffe mould), adding the onion that has previously sweated to the bottom of the Alsatian Terrine.

Place some of the sauerkraut spices on top of the mixed sauerkraut.

Then take 1/2 litre of the cooking juice from the Palette and add it to the sauerkraut (don't hesitate to add a little water to cook the sauerkraut).

Add the Riesling to the sauerkraut and cover with the rest of the sauerkraut, pressing down so that the liquid rises.

Put the lid on the Terrine Alsacienne (or your dish), put it in the oven at 210° C and cook for 1h30.

Remove the Terrine Alsacienne from the oven and mix the sauerkraut with the condiments and garlic.

Remove half of the sauerkraut and place the fresh bacon, smoked bacon and salted collar on top, then cover with the other half of the removed sauerkraut.

After the sauerkraut has been in the oven for about 2 hours, slice the pork chops and the knuckle of pork into pieces and add the slices and pieces to the sauerkraut.

Make sure that everything is bathed in the liquid (add a little of the cooking juices from the chuck and the ham if necessary).

You can now start cooking the potatoes by dipping them in water (start cooking the potatoes cold to allow the starch to hydrate and swell).

The cooking time varies from 25 to 35 minutes at a low boil (stick the tip of a knife into the potato without cutting it in half).

Cook the Montbéliard sausages or boiled sausages for 20 minutes in water brought to a gentle boil.

At the end of the cooking time, place the sausages inside the Alsatian terrine and keep the cooking water.

After putting the sauerkraut in the oven (about 2h30), bring 2 litres of water to the boil, stop the boiling and plunge the knacks or viennoises into the hot water.

Leave them in the water until you are ready to serve the sauerkraut.

The sauerkraut is finally ready after 3 hours of cooking.

To serve, separate the meats from the sauerkraut and remove the bay leaves (add a little salt to the sauerkraut if necessary and stir).

The Traditional Sauerkraut is dome-shaped on a serving dish and surrounded by the meats, sausages and potatoes.

Serve a dry wine (Riesling or Pinot Gris) or a beer and enjoy! Bonne Appétit !