Braised Cabbage And Sauerkraut Food

BRAISED SAUERKRAUT - CZECH DUšENé KYSANé ZELí

Steps:

• Do before you start cooking: Peel onion and chop it finely. Drain sauerkraut; reserve the brine for later. If the sauerkraut contains big pieces, cut it up into smaller ones. Dice bacon into 1/3 inch cubes.
• In a pot, melt pork lard over medium heat. Add chopped onion and fry until the onion is translucent. Stir occasionally to prevent the onion from burning. It takes about 5-8 minutes. Add crushed caraway seeds and stir.
• Throw in cubed bacon, fry for 5 minutes while stirring. Add sauerkraut and mix. If the reserved brine is not too sour, you can add about ½ cup. If the brine is too acidic, add ½ cup water to it. Or make a compromise and add ¼ of the brine plus ¼ of water to the sauerkraut.
• Low the temperature, cover the pot with a lid and let the sauerkraut braise for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, stir in sugar. Add flour and mix. Cook on low heat for a further 15 minutes. Braised sauerkraut will thicken and get a nice glossy look.
• Season the finished sauerkraut with salt and sugar to your liking.
• Serve warm as a side dish.

BRAISED CABBAGE AND SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Melt butter in a heavy casserole. Add mushrooms and saute over high heat until mushrooms begin to brown.
• Lower heat to medium, stir in onion and garlic and saute until they are tender. Add cabbage, sauerkraut, chicken broth and wine. Mix to distribute the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add bay leaf, cover and place in preheated oven for 2 1/2 hours until virtually all liquid in pan has been absorbed. Remove bay leaf. Check seasonings.
• Serve directly from the casserole or transfer to a serving dish. Sour cream sprinkled with poppy seeds should be served alongside.

BRAISED SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Place the drained sauerkraut in the insert of a 4-quart slow cooker. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, caraway seeds, thyme, bay leaves, juniper berries or gin, and black pepper. Combine them thoroughly with a fork or with your hands. Scatter the kielbasa on top and bury the hocks in the sauerkraut. Pour in the wine and broth. Cover and cook on LOW for 9 hours, until the juices are bubbling and the sauerkraut has lost its crunch.
• Remove the smoked hocks. If there is any meat on them, remove it and add it to the sauerkraut. Discard the bay leaves. Serve the braised sauerkraut as is with boiled potatoes, or use as a base for choucroute garni.

HARD CIDER-BRAISED SAUSAGES WITH SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the sausages all over, in batches if necessary, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove to a plate as they brown. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add the sauerkraut and toss to combine with the onions. Add the thyme, coriander and allspice and stir to combine. Season with pepper. Pour in the cider and reduce by half. Add the stock and brown sugar and return to a simmer. Tuck the sausages back into the pot and simmer, uncovered, until the kraut is very tender and the sauce is flavorful and slightly reduced, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt, if needed.
• Bring the sauce to a boil, add the butter and swirl to melt and combine. Serve topped with the parsley.
• Remove any loose leaves from the cabbage head and reserve. Quarter the cabbage and thinly slice, on a mandoline if you have one. (The shreds should be about the thickness of a quarter.) Toss the cabbage in a large bowl with the pickling salt. Work the cabbage through your hands and massage for a minute or two, until the cabbage begins to "sweat" and release some water.
• Thinly slice, then julienne the green apple, leaving the peel on. (Again, use a mandoline if you have one.) Slice the ginger into coins and press with the side of your knife to bruise them slightly and release their oils. Add the apples, ginger and allspice berries to the cabbage and toss well. Let sit for an hour or two, until the cabbage has released quite a bit of water.
• Pack the cabbage mixture into a large, wide-mouthed crock and press down very firmly until the liquid the cabbage has released covers it. (Depending on the age of your cabbage, it may release less water; a fresher cabbage will release a lot of water, while a cabbage that has been stored all winter will release less.) If the cabbage is not covered, mix together 1 quart cold water and 4 1/2 teaspoons pickling salt until dissolved and pour over enough to cover the cabbage.
• Use a couple of the reserved whole cabbage leaves to cover the surface of the cabbage. Cover with a plate (or the weight provided, if you have a fermenting crock) and set something heavy on top to weight it. (You can use cans. Many people like to use a resealable plastic bag filled with the same salted water solution used above because it weights evenly and if it leaks, it doesn't ruin the fermentation process.) Store the crock in a cool, dry place.
• Check the kraut after 2 days. There should be a few bubbles around the sides. Skim any scum that has risen to the surface. Check the kraut every few days and repeat skimming, if needed. Depending on the temperature of your room, the kraut should be ready after about a week. (Some people ferment for a couple of weeks or more, depending on how funky they want their kraut to be.)
• Divide the kraut and pack into jars. Store in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse the kraut well (discarding any ginger pieces) before using.

CABBAGE AND SAUERKRAUT FOR THE CROCK POT

Steps:

• Place chopped cabbage into crock pot. Place sauerkraut and onions over top.
• In a mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into crock pot.
• Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until cabbage is as tender as you want.
• Stir well before serving.

RIESLING-BRAISED SAUERKRAUT AND APPLES

Steps:

• Cover sauerkraut with cold water by 1 inch in a large bowl and soak 5 minutes, then drain in a colander. Repeat soaking and draining once more, pressing on sauerkraut.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Peel and core apples and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Cook shallot and onion in butter in a 4- to 5-quart pot over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add apples, bacon, wine, broth, thyme, juniper berries, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer, then stir in sauerkraut. Cover pot with foil, then lid, and braise in middle of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaf.
• Meanwhile, simmer cream and schnapps in a 2-quart saucepan until reduced to about 1 cup, about 40 minutes.
• Add cream mixture, salt, and pepper to sauerkraut and stir well.
• Available at many supermarkets and Penzeys Spices (800-741-7787).

BRAISED RED CABBAGE, APPLES, AND BRATS

Steps:

• Melt the bacon fat in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook, stirring often, until sugar browns (about 4 minutes).
• Reduce the heat to medium low, add the onion, and saute it until golden.
• Add cabbage, apples, vinegar and caraway seeds. Stir to blend.
• Place sausage links and potatoes on top of cabbage mixture.
• Season with salt and pepper, then pour beer all over.
• Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Taste to adjust seasonings.