Sausages With Cider And Sauerkraut Food

SAUSAGES WITH CIDER AND SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Prick sausages several times with the tip of a small knife. Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown sausages, turning occasionally, about 3 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
• Add remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter to skillet along with onion, bay leaves, caraway seeds, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in sauerkraut, cider, and sugar, then nestle sausages into mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 20 minutes.

GRILLED SMOKED SAUSAGE WITH APPLE FENNEL "SAUERKRAUT"

Steps:

• Clean and cut the fennel in long strips (julienne) and trim tops, reserving for later use.
• Heat oil in heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add onion and kosher salt. Cook until onion begins to brown, add strips of fennel, stir, and let cook covered for about 5 minutes or until fennel begins to wilt, reduce heat to medium-low.
• Meanwhile, mix grated apple with lemon juice and add to pan, cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Add butter, mixing well. Add caraway seeds, reserved fennel tops and hard cider or apple juice. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, uncovered. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let sit to allow the flavors to mingle. (The sauerkraut can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.)
• Build charcoal fire or preheat gas grill. Just before serving, warm sauerkraut and grill sausages. To grill sausages, place on the cooking grate over direct medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally to mark all sides of the sausage. Meanwhile, split the buns and brush a little butter on the inside. Toast until lightly browned. When ready to serve, place 1 sausage and a generous amount of the sauerkraut on the bun and serve with mustard on the side. Enjoy immediately.

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.

SAUSAGE AND SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Place the sauerkraut, caraway seeds, brown sugar, and apple into a large saucepan over medium-low heat, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Place the bacon and onion into a skillet over medium heat, and cook until the bacon is almost crisp and the onion is beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir the bacon mixture into the sauerkraut. In the same skillet, brown the kielbasa sausage in the remaining bacon grease until the sausage begins to brown, 10 to 15 minutes; stir into the sauerkraut mixture. Spoon the sauerkraut and sausage mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling, about 1 hour.

GERMAN SAUSAGES WITH APPLES, SAUERKRAUT, AND ONION

Steps:

• Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Halve sausages lengthwise if desired. Cook until browned and heated through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and cover to keep warm.
• Add remaining tablespoon of oil to skillet if necessary. Add onion, and cook for 3 minutes. Add apples, stir, and cook until softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in cider, and cook for 1 minute. Add sauerkraut, and heat until warmed through, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer sauerkraut to a warm serving platter, and top with the sausages. Serve with pickles, cucumber, and mustards. (Sausages and sauerkraut can be kept warm, covered, in a 250-degree oven for up to an hour.)

SAUERKRAUT AND APPLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Rinse sauerkraut and wring dry.
• Heat margarine in a large skillet; saute onion and garlic until onion is tender.
• Add kraut, cider, stock, apples, and juniper; season to taste with salt and pepper; bring to a boil.
• Transfer to casserole dish; cover with lid or foil and bake at 350 degrees F.
• for 35-40 minutes.

SMOKED SAUSAGE, APPLES AND SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown smoked sausage in olive oil, add onions and cook for 3 minutes.
• Arrange all ingredients around sausage in skillet and cook over medium heat 30-40 minutes or until juice has cooked down.
• If kraut still has a sour taste, add more brown sugar to suit your taste.