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West Town Tavern Choucroute

Posted on Thursday, January 7, 2010

This is one of our most popular winter entrees! We serve grilled pork tenderloin and a chunk of our housemade fennel sausage with the kraut but you can make a simple version with fully cooked or raw sausages, or use smoked pork chops. Make the kraut several days ahead (or freeze) for a quick, hearty weekday feast. Serve with boiled new potatoes and a watercress or arugula salad.

Make this a vegetarian feast by using canola oil, vegetable stock or water and serve with potatoes, apples, roasted winter squash and sauteed black kale

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

2 Tbls

melted duck fat, lard or canola oil

2 cups

thinly sliced onions

2 cloves

garlic, peeled, smashed and minced

3 Tbls

dark brown sugar, packed

11/2 pounds

sauerkraut, preferably fresh or bagged

1/4 cup

riesling wine

2 cups

chicken stock, pork stock or water

1/4 cup

dried cranberries or cherries

2 Tbls

capers

2 Tbls

Applejack brandy

freshly ground black pepper to taste
 

6

sausages of your choice

Method

Heat the duck fat, lard or oil in a large saucepan until hot.
Add the onions and saute over medium-high heat until onions are browned and tender.
Add the garlic and stir well. Saute a few minutes more until garlic is tender.
Add the brown sugar and stir to coat the onions and melt the sugar.
Add sauerkraut, riesling, stock and dried cranberres. Cover pan and simmer sauerkraut slowly for one hour or until liquid is mostly absorbed and sauerkraut is very tender.
Add the capers and Applejack and simmer ten minutes more. Season well with freshly ground black pepper. Sauerkraut may be made three days ahead and reheated slowly.
When ready to serve, nestle the sausages in the sauerkraut and cover the pan. Heat sausages 15 minutes for fully-cooked sausages and 30 minutes for uncooked sausages.

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