A Grand Choucroute

Name: A Grand Choucroute
Yield: makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients: 1/4 cup lard, butter, or extra virgin olive oil; 1 large onion, sliced; 2 pounds sauerkraut, rinsed; 1 ham hock, salted or smoked; 2 cups dry white wine, preferably Riesling; 1 pound slab bacon, in one piece; Salt and black pepper; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 teaspoon juniper berries, lightly crushed with the side of a knife; 1 teaspoon caraway seeds; 1 pound boneless smoked pork loin; 2 pounds smoked sausages: bratwursts, frankfurters, kielbasa, or similar; 16 small potatoes, peeled, or 4 or 5 larger potatoes, peeled and quartered

December 14, 2011

Choucroute, the Alsatian specialty, is a near-perfect party dish: you can easily make it in advance and in quantity. This version, with boiled potatoes cooked right in, is also a one-pot dish. Serve it with bread— preferably good rye or pumpernickel—and you’re all set. (Well, you’ll also need some hot mustard and beer or Alsatian wine.) Feel free to vary the meats however you like. But, as is always the case, buy sauerkraut that is either sold in bulk or packed in plastic and contains no more than cabbage and salt.

Recipe notes

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