Choucroute Garnie Recipe | Epicurious
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Choucroute Garnie

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Choucroute GarnieJeff Sarpa

Choucroute — the pickled cabbage that is a cornerstone of Alsatian cuisine — is similar to sauerkraut. One key difference is that choucroute is always cooked in wine. Here, sauerkraut is combined with smoked ham hocks, sausages and potatoes.

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

1 3/4 pounds smoked meaty ham hocks
1 pound fully cooked bratwurst
8 ounces thick-sliced bacon strips, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 large onions, chopped
1teaspoon juniper berries (optional)
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
10 whole cloves
8 whole allspice
3 bay leaves
3 Red Delicious apples, unpeeled, cored, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 2-pound jars sauerkraut, squeezed dry
2 pounds fully cooked kielbasa, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1 pound fully cooked knockwurst
2 cups Alsatian Pinot Blanc or other dry white wine
2 pounds small red-skinned potatoes
2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Assorted mustards
Prepared white horseradish

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    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.)

    Step 2

    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.

    Step 3

    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.

    Step 4

    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.

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  • Christmas dinner 2021 - delicious & beautiful presentation. Followed recommendations and simplified by using chicken stock instead of making stock from the smoky ham hocks. So it became (almost, cooked potatoes separately) a one pot dish. Find a good butcher to get the best sausages you can.

    • Sheryl

    • Albany, NY

    • 12/28/2021

  • Already reviewed this r3cipe, and forgot to add that I did not put the apples in. Fruit and salty meat is not to my taste. Also, I’ve had this dish many times in Alsace, and they simply don’t put apples in! And to answer the German vs French question, Alsatians are indisputably French, and fiercely Alsatian and NOT German (though their cuisine is obviously influenced by their neighbors). Drink an Alsatian Riesling or pinot blanc, or an American or German Riesling marked « dry ».

    • Mckwag

    • San Jose, CA

    • 1/18/2020

  • This is a very flexible recipe and can use any combination of meats you like. I like using smoked pork ribs and/ or pork chops, wild boar (I get a small loin from D'Artagnan, bratwurst and wiesswurst.) You can easily double the recipe but you need to have a big pot, or two. I use a large Le Creuset dutch oven for mine.

    • cape may cook

    • 12/3/2018

  • I have a question. Since this is so highly rated, I'd like to make it for Christmas dinner. I have 14 people coming, so is it safe to just double this recipe to feed 14? Please advise. Thanks

    • ryan_scaro

    • Sterling, VA

    • 10/19/2016

  • This is a pretty good recipe for Choucroute though I think I prefer it without the smoked ham hocks. I've made other recipes that use pork loin and one that uses pork shoulder (which is the best one so far.) The key as mentioned below is the very best of ingredients - especially the meats . I used homemade kraut which was nice. I agree with jaydee1 - if you are near Seattle go to the Bavarian market at Pike Place for the meats.

    • wallisjr

    • Seattle, WA

    • 12/28/2013

  • I have made this for my Oktoberfest ever since is issue hit my mailbox. For those who live close to Seattle, hit on the Bavarian market in Pike Market. Great wurst, great sauerkraut (get it from the meat counter, best ever)

    • jaydee1

    • Everett WA

    • 9/23/2013

  • My apologies! Although I stand by my opinion that this recipe is fabulous. My story about the bakers oven belongs to another classic from his town called a "baeckeoffe". It uses beans and not the sauerkraut.

    • Iowonian

    • 5/2/2013

  • My father, who lives in the Alsace region, always uses pigs feet in this dish. He uses hocks too but their sausages are a lot different than you can find here. I suppose this dish is flexible in its ingredients. In his town they traditionally used to take there dish to the baker's (as well as many others) and they would cook as the bread oven cooled and be ready when they returned from working the fields. (They don't do this now but thought the tradition was worth relating).

    • Iowonian

    • 4/10/2013

  • Omitted ham hocks as suggested by reviews, replaced with chicken broth. No juniper berries. Otherwise followed recipe. Everyone loved it. Will make again!

    • bhope

    • Tampa Florida

    • 11/5/2012

  • Honestly, I've been counting the days till the weather was (finally) cool enough to make this spectacular dish again. I discovered this recipe last year, and made it at least a half dozen times over the winter. It's the only recipe I'll ever use for choucroute, and has replaced my family's old Pennsylvania Dutch standby of pork ribs and sauerkraut. I do make several changes to the recipe, which include; forgoing the ham hocks (they over power the taste of the other meats in the dish and lend a "stringy" texture to the velvety sauerkraut and apples). Instead I just add low sodium chicken stock. Also, I add smoked pork chops to the sausage combination. Delectable. As far as the apples are concerned, I use what I happen to have on hand, which is usually Golden Delicious or Granny Smith, and neither compromise the flavor. Finally, I usually end up buying a nice Riesling since I can't find the Alsatian wine, and no one ever complains. On a final note; the juniper berries are essential; don't skip this ingredient. And if you make this a day in advance you'll thank yourself; it is out of this world, and cold-weather comfort food at its' best.

    • Julijane

    • The Hill Country, Texas

    • 10/28/2012

  • I did not have all of the meat and sausage required so used beef broth instead of ham hocks and didn't have quite all of the sausage. It was still delicious and I bet would have been even better if I had had all of the sausage. I also used champagne instead of wine because I heard that is more traditional. (Good way to finish any leftover or open sauerkraut in your fridge)

    • dnals

    • Palo Alto, CA

    • 4/14/2012

  • Delicious even when heavily modified to reflect what I had. Used fresh shredded savoy cabbage, not sauerkraut; braised it with 1 onion, some smoked Cure 81 ham, apples, a tablespoon of turbinado sugar, plus cloves, juniper berries and peppercorns. Added white wine and braised for 30 or so minutes; splash or two of cider vinegar at the end. Browned bratwurst, chicken bratwurst, and knackwurst separately, then served on top. Stonewall Farms horseradish mustard on the side.

    • Anonymous

    • connecticut

    • 1/3/2011

  • Guests loved this, I followed other reviewers advice: skipped ham hock and used 2 cups stock instead, added 2 pounds cubed smoked pork chops, made a day in advance, tied spices in cheese cloth. Next time I would replace the kielbasa with more smoked pork chop and cut it into larger pieces. I also think there was too much sauerkraut and would cut it in half.

    • Anonymous

    • San Francisco, CA

    • 11/29/2010

  • This is exceptional. A crowd pleaser. I skipped the ham hock step, used chicken broth instead. Added garlic to my cheese cloth spice pouch. I used bratwusts and smoked sausage. Only one and a half jar could fit in my pan. Made everything stove top. takes time, but it's pretty easy to make.

    • daniguinha

    • los angeles, ca

    • 1/16/2010

  • It was delicious. I used Fiji apples beacause I don't care for Reds. I didn't have any juniper berries, and used the chardoney on hand instead and it it turned out great. The apples were delicious! Tossed the potatoes in butter because hey, this ain't no fat free dish.

    • whelchelfamily

    • Loveland, CO

    • 4/22/2009

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