Show #311

Chef Eric's Michigan inspired version of a European favorite.

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs. sauerkraut, fresh bulk, preferably not canned
1/4 cup lard, or rendered bacon, chicken, duck or goose fat
2 white onions, peeled and sliced
2 whole honey crisp apples, cored, peeled & sliced
3 cups hard apple cider, preferably misteguay from Michigan
2 cup chicken stock or water
black pepper, to taste
6 whole cloves
6 juniper berries, or a bit of gin
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup roasted garlic, puree
3 bratwurst, koegels
3 veinna frankfurters, Koegels
3 lb. smoked polish, Koegels
1 lb. ring bologna, Koegels
3 bockwurst, Koegels
2 lbs. new potatoes
1 lb. slab bacon, cut into large chunks

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse the sauerkraut in a colander under cold running water. Taste after rinsing, and if it is still very acidic or salty, repeat several more times. Drain very well.

In a large casserole over low heat, melt the fat and add the onions and apples. Sauté until the onions and apples are wilted, then add the hard apple cider and stock or water.

Add the drained sauerkraut, pepper, cloves, juniper berries, bay leaves and roasted garlic puree. Cover and bake in the oven for one to one and a half hours.

In separate saucepans cook each variety of sausage in gently simmering water for about 20 minutes. Do not allow the water to boil or the sausages will burst. Drain all the sausages, slice the ring bologna, and keep it all warm until serving time.

Meanwhile, steam or boil the potatoes. Allow them to cool just enough to handle, then peel. Keep warm. Just before serving, grill the slab bacon until very crisp.

To serve, drain the sauerkraut - pick out all the herbs and spices - and mound it in the center of a large heated platter. Surround the sauerkraut with the koegel sausages, the potatoes and grilled bacon. Serve with plenty of different kinds of mustard, quality breads, and plenty of chilled michigan hard apple cider, wines and artisan beers.

Notes:

I like to keep extra cider and or chicken broth handy just in case the choucroute dries out to quickly during cooking. Always check every quarter hour or so to make sure the choucroute is juicy, if not, add a bit more of cider or broth.

The variety and amounts of sausages is really up to you. More people coming over for dinner than you thought? No problema! Add a few more of koegels finest.

Are they French or are they German? Alsace and Lorraine have changed nationality four times since 1871 alone, and though these two provinces are now part of eastern France, they form a region and a cuisine where traditions mingle too closely to separate.