Express sauerkraut
Sauerkraut (choucroute in French) is a traditional Alsatian recipe. It consists of fermented cabbage slowly cooked with white wine, potatoes and a variety of salted pork meats. This is a simplified and fairly quick version.
2 hours 25 min.
Easy
18 people
11 IngredientsLast modified on: February 21th 2011
For 18 people, you will need:
- 1
1 kg 500 g raw sauerkraut - 2
3 Morteaux sausage - 3
750 g smoked pork belly (or thick cut streaky bacon) - 4
750 g pork shoulder - 5
1 kg 500 g potatoes - 6
3 glasses dry white wine - 7
3 onions - 8
9 tablespoons goose fat - 9
2 lemon - 10
salt - 11
pepper - Total weight: 6,555 grams
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 45 min.
Cooking: 1 hour 45 min.
All in all: 2 hours 25 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 2 - 20 min.
Peel and wash medium size 1 kg 500 g potatoes.
If they are too big, cut into 2 or 4, it's important that they are of similar size for even cooking.
If they are too big, cut into 2 or 4, it's important that they are of similar size for even cooking.
Stage 3 - 5 min.
Cut 750 g smoked pork belly (or thick cut streaky bacon) and 750 g pork shoulder into fairly large pieces.
Melt 9 tablespoons goose fat in a large pan on high heat fire, and when lightly smoking add pieces of meat.
Melt 9 tablespoons goose fat in a large pan on high heat fire, and when lightly smoking add pieces of meat.
Stage 4 - 10 min.
Brown all over. This is not to cook the meat, so it only takes 1 or 2 minutes each side.
When meat is browned, remove from pan and leave on a plate.
If you have a lot of meat, do this in stages.
When meat is browned, remove from pan and leave on a plate.
If you have a lot of meat, do this in stages.
Stage 5 - 1 min.
When all the meat is removed, add chopped onion, salt, pepper and mix well.
Stage 6 - 2 min.
Cook onion gently on its own for 2 minutes without letting it colour (it should not fry).
Stage 7 - 1 min.
Add 1 kg 500 g raw sauerkraut, stir well.
Stage 8 - 5 min.
Pour in 3 glasses dry white wine, if possible a wine from Alsace like Sylvaner or Riesling, stir again.
Stage 9 - 30 min.
Put meat on top and 3 Morteaux sausage that has been pricked all over with a sharp knife. Turn heat to low, cover, and leave to cook for 30 minutes (or more).
Stage 10 - 1 hour
Stage 11 - 5 min.
Choucroute should be served at the table: the whole dish is put in the centre of the table; one of the guests cuts the sausage into thick slices, then everyone serves himself and can come back for more.
Remarks
Sauerkraut is one of those amazing dishes that can be reheated any number of times, each time tasting even better. The very best, in my opinion, is when the cabbage starts to brown a little and caramalise - a real treat.
you can adapt the recipe to your taste, or what you have available. However, it's a worth including at least one piece of smoked pork; the taste is so different, and so good!
As for wine, I would insist a dry white is best. I'm not a fan of Gewurztraminer, which seems too aromatic and sweet for this dish, but it's a matter of personal taste.
Of course this is not "the" Alsatian sauerkraut recipe, so no need to send in barbed comments on the subject...
you can adapt the recipe to your taste, or what you have available. However, it's a worth including at least one piece of smoked pork; the taste is so different, and so good!
As for wine, I would insist a dry white is best. I'm not a fan of Gewurztraminer, which seems too aromatic and sweet for this dish, but it's a matter of personal taste.
Of course this is not "the" Alsatian sauerkraut recipe, so no need to send in barbed comments on the subject...
And to drink?
An Alastian wine of course, otherwise a dry white.
Why not drink the same one you use in the recipe?
Or a good beer?
Why not drink the same one you use in the recipe?
Or a good beer?
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, covered by a plastic film.
Source: Home made, but this recipe is dedicated to my great aunts Marthe and Suzanne from Guebwiller where I ate my first Alsatian choucroute a long long time ago...
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 440 RDI=170 % | 430 RDI=40 % | 820 RDI=120 % | 10,870 RDI=540 % | 45,530 RDI: 540 % |
| Per 100 g | 6 RDI=3 % | 6 RDI=1 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 170 RDI=8 % | 700 RDI: 8 % |
| Per person | 20 RDI=9 % | 20 RDI=2 % | 50 RDI=7 % | 600 RDI=30 % | 2,530 RDI: 30 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 18 people : 33.10 €
- Per person : 1.85 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Raw sauerkraut
Like these other recipes: Seafood sauerkraut, ... See them all 1
Potatoes
Like these other recipes: Hasselback or "Swedish-style" potatoes, Warm Leek and Potato Salad, Potato and broccoli gratin, Super-green, super-thrifty soup, Real home-made chips* , ... See them all 81
Smoked pork belly (or thick cut streaky bacon)
Like these other recipes: Boeuf (beef) bourguignon, Mornay onion tart, Soup Cornouaillaise, Dandelion salad, Warm lentil salad, ... See them all 5
Pork shoulder
Like these other recipes: Cured Pork Belly With Lentils, ... See them all 1
Other recipes you may also like
Röstis
Probably a swiss recipe originally, but also known in the French region of Franche-comté. This version is more sophisticated.February 21th 2011266 K4.2 40 min.
You should not leave egg yolks in contact with sugar
You should not leave egg yolks in contact with sugar for too long without beating them, because this contact "cooks" egg yolks and you will get small lumps of hard egg in your mixture.February 21th 2011127 K5
Béarnaise sauce
This very tasty sauce, flavoured with tarragon, chervil and shallot, with its hint of acidity, is perfect for grilled fish or meats. Its well-known as a difficult sauce, but here are all the tips that you need to succeed.May 22th 2016346 K4 1 hour 6 min.
Tart Tatin
Tart tatin is one of the great classic desserts of French cooking. It's an apple tart cooked upside down. Apples are cooked in sugar until they caramelise. Then a circle of puff pastry is put on top, and the whole tart is baked at 356°F (180°C) for 20 minutes. To serve, the tart is turned over so...October 30th 2015408 K 33.2 1 hour 20 min.
How to prepare asparagus
Preparing asparagus spears properly involves washing and peeling, then cooking them just right. Here is a simple way to do this.June 26th 2013268 K4.9 35 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-05-18)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
The 1 comment already posted on this recipe