Choucroute Garnie
Hearty Alsace-style sauerkraut braised with pork and sausages, finished with potatoes and wholegrain mustard.
This is Alsace on a plate: tangy sauerkraut slowly braised with pork and sausages until everything is meltingly tender. It’s proper winter comfort food — big flavours, very forgiving technique.
Make it when you want something to feed a small crowd without faffing: the casserole mostly cooks itself, and the leftovers are even better the next day. Use a Riesling or another dry white wine for a true choucroute note.
Ingredients
- 900 g sauerkraut
- 700 g pork shoulder — bone-in or boneless both work
- 200 g smoked streaky bacon
- 4 Frankfurter sausages — about 400 g total
- 400 ml dry white wine — Riesling or another dry Alsace-style wine
- 300 ml chicken stock
- 2 brown onion — medium
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 8 juniper berries
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 black peppercorns
- 1 apple — firm eating apple, e.g. Braeburn, cored and sliced
- 800 g baby potatoes — small, waxy variety
- 25 g unsalted butter
- sea salt — to taste
- 5 ml caster sugar — optional, balances sauerkraut acidity
- 60 ml wholegrain mustard — to serve
- 15 ml vegetable oil
Equipment
- large heavy-based casserole or Dutch oven
- large saucepan
- large sieve
- ladle
Instructions
Place the sauerkraut in a large sieve and rinse briefly under cold running water to remove excess brine; press and drain well.
Heat the large heavy-based casserole over medium–high heat. Add the vegetable oil, then brown the pork shoulder all over and the smoked streaky bacon until golden, about 10 minutes. Work in batches if necessary so the meat colours rather than steams.
Remove the browned meats to a plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the unsalted butter and the sliced brown onion and sweat gently until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add the crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic.
Stir in the drained sauerkraut, dry white wine, chicken stock, juniper berries, bay leaves, black peppercorns, sliced apple and caster sugar. Scrape any browned bits from the base, bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
Nestle the pork shoulder and smoked streaky bacon back into the sauerkraut, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes, turning the meats once halfway through.
While the sauerkraut simmers, cook the baby potatoes in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
With 15 minutes left on the sauerkraut timer, add the Frankfurter sausages to the casserole so they warm through in the braising juices.
When the simmer finishes, remove the pork shoulder, smoked streaky bacon and sausages to a warm plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 10 minutes.
Place the casserole over medium heat and reduce the braising liquid, uncovered, for 10–15 minutes until slightly thickened; taste and adjust seasoning with sea salt.
Slice the rested pork shoulder and bacon. Serve the sauerkraut piled on plates with the meats and Frankfurter sausages, baby potatoes on the side, a spoonful of reduced braising liquid and wholegrain mustard.
Tips
- Taste the sauerkraut before you start — some jars are saltier than others; rinse until the acidity suits you.
- Brown the pork and bacon well for deep flavour, but keep the later long simmer gentle to avoid tough meat.
- Cook the sausages only in the final 10–15 minutes so they stay plump and don’t burst.
- Make-ahead: choucroute improves after a day in the fridge; gently reheat over a low heat with a splash of stock or wine.
- If you want a lighter dish, substitute pork shoulder for a leaner cut and add extra apple slices to balance acidity.
Substitutions
pork shoulder → pork leg joint, same quantity
Stays closeFrankfurter sausages → smoked kielbasa or bratwurst, same quantity
Stays closedry white wine → additional chicken stock plus 1 tbsp lemon juice, same total liquid
Noticeably differentunsalted butter → olive oil, same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 1340
- Calories
- 82 g
- Protein
- 49 g
- Carbs
- 91 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 1800 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Do I have to rinse the sauerkraut?
No, but you probably should — rinsing removes excess brine and prevents the dish becoming too salty. Rinse until the tang suits your taste.
Can I cook this in the oven?
Yes. After bringing to a simmer, cover and cook in a low oven at 160°C fan/180°C conventional for 1 hour 30 minutes, then continue as instructed.
How do I store leftovers?
Cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the hob with a splash of stock or wine.
Is choucroute gluten-free?
The core ingredients here are gluten-free, but some sausages contain wheat fillers — check labels if you need to avoid gluten.
Community Photos
No photos yet
Be the first to share your creation!
Rate this recipe
More like this
