Choucroute Garnie

In a trip to Strasbourg, France, I fell in love with the region’s sauerkraut, sausage, and potato specialty. Back in Maine, I use Morse’s Sauerkraut, a local smoked sausage, and a dry hard cider, which also pairs well with the finished dish.

2 whole cloves

2 allspice berries

4 black peppercorns

½ cup dry hard cider

½ cup chicken broth

1 bay leaf

2 slices bacon, cubed

1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion

1 ½ cups drained sauerkraut

1 pound small red potatoes, cut into ½-inch chunks

12 ounces smoked sausage, sliced on the diagonal into 8 pieces

1 large apple, cored and thinly sliced

Minced parsley, for garnish

Mustard and crusty bread, for serving

Combine cloves, allspice, and pepper in a mortar and pestle and grind them to a powder. In a measuring cup, combine cider, broth, spices, and bay leaf. Set aside.

Place bacon in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until the bacon is crispy (about 2 minutes). Add onion and cook until soft, 4–5 minutes. Add reserved spiced liquid, sauerkraut, potatoes, and sausage. Stir to combine. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes). Add apple slices, cover, turn off heat, and let the apples warm to the temperature of the rest of the dish. Garnish with parsley, and serve with crusty bread and mustard.

From Issue

No. 11 / Winter 2020