Choucroute Garnie

Last fall my sweetie was in Bar-Le-Duc, France ( about half way between Paris and Strasbourg). At the home of friends, she dined on choucroute garnie. The cook prepared this one-pot meal of sauerkraut and wursts to spotlite Alsatian region foods.

A food article in the New York Times a while ago was all about choucroute garnie. RW Apple Jr. wrote "Across the Rhine, Sauerkraut is even Sweeter". He pointed out that only the Alsatians would dare call such a parade of pig products a "garnish". It is as noble in its own way as foie gras, another of the area's traditional gastronomic delights, he wrote. I say it's definitely worth putting in your own recipe file.

Americans typically buy canned sauerkraut and serve it with hot dogs, pork, bratwurst. Apple insists that only bulk sauerkraut from a good purveyor be used. Never canned.

As to the types of meat? That is cook's choice. One thing I learned when I made it last week was that a variety of sausages cooked together for 1 1/2 hours all taste about the same. My wife says her Bar-Le-Duc hostess might have sauted the sausages and then added them 15 to 20 min. before serving so that they maintain their individual flavors. (This based on her recollection that the sauerkraut was not overwhelmed by the sausage flavor, fat, etc.....and mine was, says she)

Of course, the French will use a wine as part of the braising medium. In this case, a Riesling. Along with the wine, they will also incorporate a stock of some sort, chicken or pork.

I agree with NYT's Apple, the dish is a delight. Click the title to get his recipe.

If you do a search in FoodTV for choucroute garnie, you will find 4 recipes. Or better yet, Google or Yahoo for more choices. Seems that any would be worth trying...I plan to do just that.