Kiełbasa Sausage and Braised Sauerkraut (Quick Bigos)

Method14 steps · about 3 hr 20 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Taste the 700 g sauerkraut before adding other ingredients. If too sour, rinse it in a colander under cold water and drain; otherwise keep it as it is.

   Uses 700 g sauerkraut

2. 2

   Step 2: Roughly chop the prepared sauerkraut so the pieces are no longer than 2.5 cm.

   Uses All tasted and, if needed, rinsed sauerkraut

3. 3

   Step 3: Peel the large yellow onion (1 large) and chop it finely.

   Uses 1 large yellow onion, about 200 g

4. 4

   Step 4: Peel both apples (2), remove their cores and cut each into quarters.

   Uses 2 hard sweet apples

5. 5

   Step 5: Slice both sausage supplies into rounds about 1 cm thick: the 1 lb mild kiełbasa and the separate 200 g strongly smoked kiełbasa. Thinly slice the 100 g smoked bacon.

   Uses 1 lb mild kiełbasa · 200 g strongly smoked kiełbasa · 100 g lean smoked bacon

6. 6

   Step 6: Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Use a Dutch oven or deep oven-safe pan with a lid. If frying in a regular pan, have a lidded oven-safe dish ready for the transfer.

7. 7

   Step 7: Melt the 2 tbsp butter over medium heat in the chosen pan. Add the chopped onion and a little salt from the seasoning supply, then cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

   Cook the onion · 1 minUses 2 tbsp butter · All chopped yellow onion · A little onion-seasoning salt

8. 8

   Step 8: Add both prepared sausage supplies and the sliced bacon to the buttered onion. Fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring regularly as the onion starts to brown. Take off the heat; transfer everything to the oven-safe dish if necessary.

   Fry sausages and bacon · 3 minUses Both sliced kiełbasa supplies and all sliced bacon · The lightly salted buttered onion

9. 9

   Step 9: Add the chopped sauerkraut and prepared apple quarters to the fried sausage-and-bacon mixture. Add the 4 bay leaves, 5 allspice berries and 5 juniper berries.

   Uses All chopped sauerkraut · All peeled cored apple quarters · The complete fried sausage, bacon and onion mixture · 4 bay leaves · 5 allspice berries · 5 juniper berries

10. 10

    Step 10: Season the assembled mixture generously with freshly ground black pepper. Add further salt only if needed; the sauerkraut, sausages and bacon are already salty.

    Uses The assembled braise · Freshly ground black pepper, to season · Further seasoning salt only if needed

11. 11

    Step 11: Pour in enough of the available 500 ml chicken stock to cover the sauerkraut. Cover the oven-safe dish with its lid.

    Uses Initial chicken stock, from the 500 ml supply · The seasoned assembled braise

12. 12

    Step 12: Braise the covered dish in the 180°C oven for 90 minutes. Remove carefully and stir well. If the mixture has become too dry, add some separate additional chicken stock or water, only as needed.

    First covered oven braise · 90 minUses The covered assembled braise · Additional stock or water only if dry

13. 13

    Step 13: Cover again and return to the 180°C oven for another 90 minutes, until the sauerkraut and apples are soft and the sausages and bacon are fully cooked and hot throughout.

    Second covered oven braise · 90 minUses The once-braised stirred mixture, with any needed top-up

14. 14

    Step 14: Remove the whole bay leaves before serving. Serve the hot braise as 6–8 portions, with optional ready bread or cooked potatoes on the side.

    Uses The fully cooked hot braise · Optional ready bread or cooked potatoes, as desired