A French affair

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My grandmother, who was born in Austria, made her own sauerkraut, pickles and roasted peppers. I have always loved sauerkraut, especially on a hot dog. Many years ago, I discovered a dish from Alsace that made delicious use of this shredded, fermented cabbage and sausages. It is called Choucroute and it is one of my favorite fall meals.

I found the recipe in Judith Huxley’s book "Table for Eight." It is a marvelous one-pot wonder and the beauty is you can use any type of sausage or pork. As a young girl, I did not know my grandmother’s dish was called choucroute, but she kept a kosher home so her version was swine-free.

This meal is perfect for a cool Sunday. Invite friends over because this is not a dish for two. With an open bottle of crisp white wine and two glasses, ask a friend to read the recipe as you cook. Everyone else will be in the living room watching the Eagles game.

Begin dinner with a green salad accented with marinated vegetables such as mushrooms or artichoke hearts. Boiled potatoes, with lots of butter and parsley, are a tasty side for choucrute. A platter of cheese with sliced apples and pears is the perfect dessert.

A slightly dry, yet flowery white wine is used in the choucroute. A Torrontes from Argentina, a dry Gewurztraminer from France or a dry Riesling are all fine choices. And the chef always gets a glass while at the stove.

• 5 pounds of fresh sauerkraut, rinsed in several changes of cold water and thoroughly dried
• 1/4 cup of chicken fat or canola oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1-1/2 cups of dry white wine
• 2-1/2 cups of chicken stock
• 1 square of cheese cloth
• 1 teaspoon juniper berries
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 large bay leaves
• 3/4 pound of thick sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 smoked pork chops
• 1 pound kielbasa
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 smoked bratwurst
• 2 unsmoked bratwurst
• 2 weisswurst
• 8 all-beef knockwurst
• 12 small Red Bliss potatoes

• Begin cooking about two hours before desired serving time. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt the chicken fat or oil in a heavy six-quart casserole. Add the onions and saut� for about 10 minutes. Add the sauerkraut, wine and stock. Bring to a simmer. Tie the berries, pepper and bay leaves in the cheese cloth and bury in the sauerkraut.
• Add the bacon mixing it into the sauerkraut, then burying in the pork chops. Cover and bake for one hour.
• Place a pot of salted water on the stove to boil the potatoes.
• Remove the casserole from the oven. Bury the kielbasa in the sauerkraut. If all the liquid has been absorbed, add another 1/2 cup of stock or wine. Cover and bake for about 25 minutes. Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook for about 15 minutes.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and add both bratwurst, the weisswurst and knockwurst, sauteing over a low flame for about 20 minutes.
• Remove the casserole from the oven and remove the pork chops and kielbasa and place on a cutting board. Slice each into eight pieces. Drain the potatoes in a colander.
• Remove the sauerkraut with a large slotted spoon and place in a mound in the center of two large serving platters.
• Place the meats and potatoes around the sauerkraut.
• Serves eight.

Note from Phyllis: Serve the dish with an assortment of mustards such as Dijon, German and Creole. Also keep plenty of butter and parsley on hand for the potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound of imported blue cheese such as Roquefort or Maytag Blue
• 1/2 pound Morbier
• 1/2 pound Chevre
• 4 to 6 apples such as Fuji, Granny Smith, Jonagold or Jonathan
• 4 to 6 Anjou or Bosc pears
• Assorted nuts such as spiced walnuts, smoked almonds and roasted cashews

Directions:

• Cut each cheese in half and set them on two serving platters.
• Using an apple slicer, slice each apple and pear into wedges. Divide between the two platters.
• Place the nuts in separate serving bowls.
• Serves eight.

Note from Phyllis: This dish is all about presentation and a beautiful platter makes a big difference. I have several cheese platters I constantly use. One is large and made of crystal from Sweden as well as a few other marble ones I own. I also have an assortment of cheese plates so each guest can have their own. Visit Fante’s, kitchenware stores or department stores and invest in a set of top-quality serving dishes.