Choucroute alsacienne

Name: Choucroute alsacienne
Total time: 150 min
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: Alsace
Ingredients: 2 kg (4.4 lb) raw sauerkraut, rinsed; 1 kg (2.2 lb) smoked pork belly; 8 Strasbourg sausages (or frankfurters); 4 Montbéliard smoked sausages; 400 g (14 oz) smoked pork shoulder; 8 waxy potatoes (Charlotte); 2 yellow onions; 5 garlic cloves; 500 ml (2 cups) Alsace Riesling; 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock; 100 g (3½ oz) goose fat or lard; 20 juniper berries; 8 black peppercorns; 4 cloves; 3 bay leaves; 1 tsp caraway seeds; 1 tsp fine salt; 1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Alsatian sauerkraut with sausages and pork

⏱ 150 minServes 8Medium520 kcal

A recipe from Le Chaudron — the cooking of France’s regions.

01 — Ingredients8 servings

2 kg (4.4 lb)raw sauerkraut, rinsed
1 kg (2.2 lb)smoked pork belly
8Strasbourg sausages
4Montbéliard smoked sausages
400 g (14 oz)smoked pork shoulder
8Charlotte potatoes (or other waxy potatoes)
2yellow onions
5 clovesgarlic
500 ml (2 cups)Alsace Riesling
500 ml (2 cups)chicken stock
100 g (3½ oz)goose fat or lard
20juniper berries
8black peppercorns
4whole cloves
3 leavesbay leaf
1 tspcaraway seeds
1 tspfine salt
1 tspfreshly ground pepper

2 kg (4.4 lb) raw sauerkraut, rinsed
1 kg (2.2 lb) smoked pork belly
8 Strasbourg sausages
4 Montbéliard smoked sausages
400 g (14 oz) smoked pork shoulder
8 Charlotte potatoes (or other waxy potatoes)
2 yellow onions
5 cloves garlic
500 ml (2 cups) Alsace Riesling
500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
100 g (3½ oz) goose fat or lard
20 juniper berries
8 black peppercorns
4 whole cloves
3 leaves bay leaf
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Serves 8. In the app, quantities adjust to the number of guests on their own — and the ingredients go straight to your shopping list.

02 — Equipment

1 very large cast-iron stockpot (8 L / 8 qt)

1 large colander

1 piece of cheesecloth or a clean cloth

03 — Method

Rinse the 2 kg (4.4 lb) of sauerkraut in the large colander under cold water for 2 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as possible.
Tie the juniper berries, peppercorns, cloves, caraway seeds and 2 bay leaves in a piece of cheesecloth.
Thinly slice the 2 onions. Remove the germ from the 5 garlic cloves and crush them. Cut the pork belly into 5 cm (2 in) chunks.
Melt the 100 g (3½ oz) of fat in the very large cast-iron pot and cook the onions over low heat for 10 minutes until soft and golden.
Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Spread half the sauerkraut on top and add the spice bag, pork shoulder and pork belly.
Cover with the rest of the sauerkraut and the last bay leaf. Pour in the Riesling and hot chicken stock halfway up. Go easy on salt (the smoked meats are salty) and add plenty of pepper.
Cover tightly and simmer very gently for 2 hours.
Peel the 8 potatoes and add them for the last 30 minutes. Add the sausages 15 minutes before the end so they heat through without bursting.