CHOUCROUTE GARNIE
An Alsatian sauerkraut dish enriched with meats, shaped by centuries of Franco-German influence.
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
90ml Goose fat
350g Onions, sliced (4 onions)
500ml Riesling
240ml Chicken stock
2 Garlic cloves (crushed)
10 Juniper berries
2 Cloves
½ tsp Caraway seeds
2 Bay leaves
450g Pork loin, rolled
450g Smoked bacon
450g Boneless pork shoulder
500g Smoked ham hock
2 x Montbéliard sausage
1kg Sauerkraut, raw, drained
16 Ratte potatoes
30ml Kirsch (optional, to finish)
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Serve with:
Horseradish cream
Cornichons
Preheat oven to 120°C. Heat the goose fat in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook until softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Stir often so they don’t take on colour.
Add white wine, stock, garlic, herbs, and spices. Add pork shoulder, bacon, and ham hock. Bring to a simmer, cover with a parchment paper lid, and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 1/2 hours until the meats begin to tenderise.
Place the pork loin in the oven at 250–280°C until the crackling has crisped up (watch closely to avoid burning). Then lower the oven to 120°C and cook until the core temperature reaches 56°C.
Lightly rinse the sauerkraut under cold water, then squeeze out excess liquid. After the first 1 1/2 hours of braising, stir the sauerkraut into the pan. Raise oven temperature to 150°C, re-cover with parchment, and cook 1 1/2 hours more, until the meats are very tender.
Peel and cook the potatoes until tender.
Add the potatoes and sausages to the pan after 1 1/2 hours and return to the oven for another 20 minutes, or until the sausages are cooked through.
Arrange the meats and sausages over the top of the sauerkraut. Serve with mustard, cornichons, and Alsace white wine.
