Choucroute garnie is the grandest expression of Alsatian cooking — a mountain of slowly braised sauerkraut perfumed with juniper, white wine, and goose fat, crowned with an extravagant assortment of smoked and cured meats: Strasbourg sausages, Montbéliard sausages, smoked pork loin (kassler), pork belly, ham hock, and frankfurters, each cooked to its own point of perfection before being arranged atop the kraut in an architectural display of pork abundance. The technique hinges on taming the sauerkraut's raw acidity while preserving its essential tang — a balance achieved through gentle braising with fat, wine, and aromatics. Rinse 1.5kg of raw sauerkraut under cold water, squeeze dry, and loosen the strands with your fingers. In a large casserole or daubiere, melt 60g of goose fat (or duck fat — lard as a last resort). Sweat 2 sliced onions until translucent. Add the sauerkraut, 300ml of dry Alsatian Riesling, 200ml of chicken stock, a bouquet garni of bay, thyme, and parsley, 10 juniper berries, 10 peppercorns, and 2 cloves of garlic. Bury a smoked pork hock (kassler) and a piece of smoked pork belly in the kraut. Cover tightly and braise at 150°C for 2-2.5 hours. During the last 30 minutes, add Montbéliard sausages (pricked). During the last 15 minutes, add Strasbourg sausages and frankfurters (which need only heating through). Meanwhile, boil potatoes in their skins until tender. To serve: mound the braised sauerkraut on a large, heated platter. Slice the pork hock and belly thickly. Arrange all the meats on top and around the kraut: sliced hock, belly, and sausages, with the boiled potatoes around the edge. Provide Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, and grated horseradish on the side. The kraut should be tender, golden from the goose fat, faintly tangy, and perfumed with juniper and wine. Each bite should include a thread of kraut, a piece of meat, a smear of mustard, and ideally a sip of cold Riesling. This is celebratory, communal Alsatian food at its most generous.
Rinse and squeeze sauerkraut to moderate raw acidity. Goose fat for richness and Alsatian authenticity. Dry Riesling and juniper berries for aromatic depth. Meats added at staggered times: hock/belly first, sausages last. Braise at 150°C for 2-2.5 hours until kraut is golden and tender. Served on a platter — communal, generous, spectacular.
A tablespoon of kirsch stirred in at the end adds a subtle fruit note. The best sauerkraut is raw, unpasteurised, from a barrel or jar — tinned sauerkraut is vastly inferior. For a more luxurious version, replace some of the stock with Champagne. Duck confit legs can be added for a cross-regional extravagance. In Alsace, the choucroute platter is accompanied by a tray of at least three different mustards. Sauerkraut juices drunk the morning after are the traditional Alsatian hangover remedy.
Not rinsing the sauerkraut, producing a harsh, overly acidic result. Using butter instead of goose fat, which lacks the richness and flavour the dish demands. Adding all sausages at the start — delicate ones need only 15 minutes of heating. Insufficient wine and fat, producing dry, astringent kraut. Not providing mustard, which is as essential as the kraut itself.
French Regional Cooking — Anne Willan