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olive oil garlic pork sausage fennel seed Spanish onions sauerkraut thyme kielbasa chicken stock white wine pork butt ham hocks ground black pepper chicken salt suggestion
Viewed: 10 - Published at: 5 years agoIngredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, meat removed from casings
- 1 tablespoon fennel seed
- 2 medium Spanish onions, chopped
- 8 cups sauerkraut, strained and chopped, see Chef's Note*
- 1/2 cup fresh thyme leaves plus 8 sprigs fresh thyme, for serving
- 12 ounces kielbasa, sliced thin
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 bottle dry white wine or Champagne
- 1 cup diced pork butt
- 2 large smoked ham hocks
- 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 8 small chicken bratwurst sausage
- Salt
- Serving suggestion: Toasted bread, mustard, and sour cream
Method
- In an 8-quart casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add the sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is well browned, about 15 minutes.
- Add the fennel seed and cook stirring for another minute or so.
- Place about 1/3 of the chopped onions, 1/3 of the sauerkraut, 1/4 of the thyme leaves, and 1/3 of the kielbasa over the sausage.
- Moisten with one-third of the stock and a little wine.
- Repeat twice more, layering onions, sauerkraut, thyme leaves, and kielbasa, then moistening with stock and wine.
- Arrange the diced pork butt and smoked ham hocks on top of the last layer of sauerkraut, sprinkle with the remaining thyme and the black pepper.
- Bring the casserole to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Lower the heat and simmer gently for 2 hours, covered, without stirring.
- Remove the ham hocks.
- Trim the fat from the hocks then cut the meat from the bones.
- Return the ham to the casserole.
- Add the chicken bratwurst and simmer until the bratwurst are fully cooked, about 30 minutes.
- When ready to serve, remove the chicken bratwurst.
- Stir the casserole and add salt, to taste.
- Spoon the choucroute onto warm plates, top each serving with a bratwurst, and garnish with a thyme sprig.
- Pass toasted bread, mustard and sour cream as accompaniments.
- * Chef's Note: This recipe is even better made with your own sauerkraut recipe!
- The choucroute can also be served as an accompaniment to game hen or quail.
- Either bird should be trussed and can stew on top of the choucroute.
