Sauerkraut

At our recent Oktoberfest dinner, a few people asked me for my sauerkraut recipe, so I thought I would share it here.

This dish reminds me of the time I spent in Donaueschingen Germany (in the Black Forest), where I served my compulsory service with the French army. I was the chef in the officers’ mess. I’m not very fond of the “sour” part of this dish, so I created this version. You can make sauerkraut from scratch with fresh cabbage, but this recipe works very well with pre-made sauerkraut.

Ingredients (for 8 people)

• 2 lbs sauerkraut

• 2 lbs red potatoes

• 1 bottle champagne

• 1 T. Crushed juniper berries

• Salt & pepper

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 chopped onions

• 1 clove garlic, crushed

• 1 lb chopped smoked bacon

• 1 T. Butter

• 16 German bratwurst sausages

Directions

1) Saute the chopped bacon in the butter until crisp. Then add the chopped onions (no color). Add the crushed garlic, the champagne, the sauerkraut, salt, pepper, juniper berries and bay leaf. Cover and simmer slowly for 1/2 hour.

2) Peel and steam the red potatoes.

3) Saute the sausages until cooked.

4) Serve the sauerkraut on a plate with the potato and the sausages on the side.

Bon Appetit,
Alain Guichard