Best Homemade Choucroute Garni Recipes

CHOUCROUTE GARNIE (GARNISHED SAUERKRAUT)

Steps:

• Put the sauerkraut in a colander and rinse well. Press with the hands to extract excess liquid.
• Heat the lard in a large, heavy casserole or Dutch oven. Add one cup of the chopped onions and the garlic. Cook, stirring, until wilted chopped and add the pork hocks. Scatter sauerkraut over all. Add the wine and chicken broth.
• Tie the parsley sprigs, bay leaf and thyme into a small bundle and add it. Add the cloves and juniper berries. Cover closely and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepan and add the remaining half cup of chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until wilted.
• Put the pork in a mixing bowl and add the cooked onions, caraway seeds and chopped parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Blend the pork mixture well. Shape it into 12 balls of approximately the same size. Arrange them on top of the sauerkraut. Add the smoked pork butt and continue cooking.
• When the sauerkraut and meats have cooked for 30 minutes after the first boil, add the kielbasa. Cover and cook 15 minutes longer. Serve the sauerkraut with the sliced meats and potatoes.

CHOUCROUTE GARNIE

Steps:

• Place ham hocks in large saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is very tender, about 2 hours. Transfer hocks to medium bowl. Boil broth until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Place hock meat in medium bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover hock meat and broth separately; chill.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add bratwurst and bacon. Sauté until bacon is crisp and bratwurst is brown, about 10 minutes. Place in bowl with hock meat.
• Add onions, spices and bay leaves to same pot. Sauté until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add apples; sauté 2 minutes. Mix in sauerkraut. Add all meats; press to submerge. Add reserved broth and wine. Boil 10 minutes. Cover choucroute and bake 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, cook potatoes in pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 18 minutes. Drain; cool slightly. Cut potatoes in half. Dip cut sides into parsley. Arrange sauerkraut and meats on platter. Surround with potatoes. Serve with mustards and horseradish.

INSTANT POT CHOUCROUTE GARNIE

Steps:

• Toss bacon and oil in cooker insert and select "Sauté." Cook, turning occasionally, until exterior of bacon pieces are golden brown and some of the fat is rendered, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate; set aside.
• Add cabbage, onions, and garlic to cooker insert and stir to coat. Add sauerkraut, potatoes, juniper berries, if using, and caraway seeds; season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper and stir to combine.
• Tuck in bay leaves, then push bacon down into mixture. Set ribs on top and season with 1 tsp. salt. Prick each sausage with a fork in a couple of places and layer over ribs. Pour in wine. Lock on lid, making sure steam release valve is in the proper position. Select "Manual" and program for 13 minutes at high pressure.
• As soon as the time has elapsed, turn off cooker, "Quick Release" the steam, and unlock lid. The ribs and bacon should be tender when pierced with a small sharp knife.
• Transfer meat to a cutting board and sauerkraut and potatoes to a platter. Cut bacon into 1/2" slices, each sausage into 3 or 4 pieces (the skins might have burst but that's fine), and pork into individual ribs. Set meat on top of sauerkraut and potatoes. Serve with mustard and cornichons alongside.

CHOUCROUTE GARNI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large Dutch oven or oven-proof pot with lid, saute the bacon until browned. Remove the bacon and all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease. Brown the bratwurst and the pork chops on all sides, then set them aside. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the sauerkraut and saute 5 minutes. Add the potato, caraway seeds, juniper berries and the brown sugar and stir to combine. Place the browned bratwurst and pork chops on top of the sauerkraut mixture. Add the chicken stock, Riesling and water. Place lid on top and bake for 45 minutes.

CHOUCROUTE GARNI

Steps:

• Immerse the sauerkraut in a large bowl filled with cold water, and soak for 15 minutes.
• While sauerkraut is soaking, place the chopped bacon and the optional bacon rind in a heavy, oven proof pot over high heat. Saute for 1 minute. Turn heat to medium-low, add the garlic and saute for another minute.
• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Squeeze the sauerkraut dry, reserving 1 cup of the soaking water and add the sauerkraut to the pot. Stir well to blend with bacon. Add the reserved cup of soaking water, the white wine, the juniper berries, the peppercorns and the cloves. Bring to boil on top of stove and boil until the liquid has almost evaporated (about 20-30 minutes).
• Imbed the meats in the sauerkraut, cover the pot and cook in the oven until the meats are hot, about 30 minutes. Serve on a large platter.

SOUTHERN SMOKED CHOUCROUTE GARNI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Cut the potatoes and turnips and steam them until al dente. Warm the sauerkraut and bury the meats in the sauerkraut. Bring to a simmer and braise for 30 minutes covered in the oven until everything is cooked through. Add chicken stock or water as necessary to keep moistened during the cooking process.
• Rinse the sauerkraut of most of the salt in repeated cold-water washings. In the olive oil, sweat the onions until translucent. Add the wine and reduce. Add the sauerkraut and seasonings and cook to coat with the wine. Add the chicken stock, caraway seeds, bay leaves and pepper and simmer until most of the liquid is reduced. Adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary.
• Yield: 4 to 6 servings
• Mix the sugars and salts together, then spread a layer in a pan. Place your pork, duck or other meat to be smoked on top of the cure and sprinkle more on top until completely covered. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse all the sugar/salt off, pat dry and smoke in a stovetop smoker.
• Yield: 6 pounds

CHOUCROUTE GARNIE

Steps:

• Drain sauerkraut, reserving juice. Rinse in two changes of cold water, wring out well, and set aside. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a large casserole,at least 5 quarts,cook salt pork or bacon over medium heat until golden. Remove,draining well.Leave fat in casserole. Add onions and carrots, and saute until soft. Add garlic and apple, and cook, stirring, several minutes. Add sauerkraut, and return pork or bacon to casserole, tucking it into sauerkraut. Add stock and wine. Bring to a simmer.
• Add bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves and juniper berries. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover,and bake 2 hours.
• Tuck sausages into sauerkraut. If sauerkraut looks dry, add stock. If sauerkraut needs more bite, add a little reserved juice. Cover,and bake 20 minutes.
• Place smoked pork on sauerkraut. Cut ham slices in half, and add them to top. Cover with parchment cut to fit inside casserole and placed directly on ingredients. Cover pot,and return to oven 15 minutes.
• While meats cook, simmer potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain.
• Serve choucroute directly from casserole, placing potatoes on top first. Or spread sauerkraut on a platter, and top with meats and potatoes. Serve with mustard.