Saturday, May 04, 2013

Sauerkraut Can Be Beautiful

It's a really lousy day here in the Northern burbs of Atlanta. Rain all day with more predicted and very cool (only 54F at 6PM) which is very unusual for May. This calls for action in the form of a good German meal. Brats with kraut and boiled potatoes with lots of butter and parsley. Not just any sauerkraut mind you but my take on the kraut they make in the Alsace.

This will make enough for 4 unless they are German then it is enough for maybe two. Even if you are not a big fan of kraut you should try it this way and it may change your mind.

You'll need:
1 pound bag of fresh sauerkraut (I like Boar's Head) rinsed and drained
1 apple
1 medium yellow onion
2 bay leaves
8 juniper berries (optional but traditional)
1/2 cup of dry white wine ( I use dry vermouth)
1 TBsp honey
2 TBsp butter

In a 2 quart saucepan put the butter and the onion which you have cut  in half and sliced thinly. Put it over low heat, cover and sweat it until it is soft and translucent. Meanwhile peel and grate the apple on the large side of a box grater and add it to the onions. Don't grate the apple too soon or it will brown on you. Add the kraut the bay leaves, juniper berries, wine and honey. Add enough water to just cover the kraut and simmer on low for an hour or so. That's it.

I'll eat plain kraut on a sandwich or a hot dog but if I am serving it as a side dish then this is my go to recipe. It scales for larger crowds, of course. The juniper berries bring a little depth but you don't really have to have them. You can usually find them in the spice section of the grocery but this is the only dish I can think of that I use them in. If you make gravlax then you can use them crushed to add some zing to your cure.

If you have been turned off on the funky taste of kraut in the past try it this way and see if it doesn't become favorite.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Very descriptive post, I liked that a lot. Will there be a part
2?

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