Choucroute Au Champagne Recipes

ALSATIAN CHOUCROUTE

Steps:

• Wash sauerkraut thoroughly, put aside. In a rondeau melt the duck fat and saute the onion until tender, add garlic bay leaves, juniper berries and thyme. Saute until golden brown, deglaze with Reisling wine. Add 1/2 of the sauerkraut, place bacon slab and ham shanks in the middle and then top with remaining sauerkraut. Pour chicken stock over making sure it covers the sauerkraut (if not enough, add water). Cover the pan with foil and place in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 1 1/2 hours. Wash red bliss potatoes and steam whole for 30 to 40 minutes. Peel potatoes and set aside. Cut sausages in half and warm in boiling water. Place pork chops in oven to warm. Take sauerkraut out of the oven and remove bacon and ham shanks. Slice the bacon in half. Remove pork chops out of oven. Place sauerkraut in the center of a large oval tray, place all meats around sauerkraut, place bacon and ham shanks, on top of sauerkraut. Place warm potatoes around with the meat, Serve Dijon mustard on the side.

LOUIS XV AU CROUSTILLANT DE PRALIN

Steps:

• For the glacage paradis: Bring the cream to a boil. Pour the cream on top of the dark chocolate. Mix gently. In a saucepan, bring 8 3/4 ounces water and the superfine sugar to a boil. Add the cocoa powder and the double cream, then bring back to a boil. Delicately mix the dark chocolate and the cocoa powder mixtures together. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
• For the dacquoise: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C. Mix together the ground hazelnut and the confectioners' sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites using a hand mixer. When the egg whites have doubled in volume, add in the superfine sugar. Delicately incorporate the hazelnut mixture. Smooth into a circle on a baking tray covered in parchment paper. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and bake for 10 minutes. Leave to cool. Then cut the dacquoise the bottom of the cake pan.
• For the praline: Preheat the oven to 320 degrees F/ 160 degrees C. Roast the hazelnuts then add them to the granulated sugar, in a blender. Blend until smooth, at least 5 minutes.
• For the feuillantine: Fill a pot with an inch or so of water. Bring to a boil and place a non-reactive bowl over the top to create a double-boiler. Melt the white chocolate and 14 1/8 ounces/400 grams of the praline together. Then add the biscuits and mix well.
• For the chocolate mousse: Whisk the cream to stiff peaks. Melt 9 1/2 ounces/270 g of glacage to liquid but still cold. Whisk the liquid glacage into the cream. Reserve the remaining glacage in the refrigerator.
• To assemble, place the dacquoise disk at the bottom of the cake pan. Fill with the chocolate mousse. Place the feuillantine in a very thin layer on top. Leave in the freezer for a minimum of 5 hours.
• Heat the remaining glacage to 104 degrees F/40 degrees C in a double boiler. Two hours before serving, remove the cake pan from the freezer and remove the cake from the pan. Immediately cover the whole cake with the glacage. Enjoy.

CHOUCROUTE GARNI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large Dutch oven or oven-proof pot with lid, saute the bacon until browned. Remove the bacon and all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease. Brown the bratwurst and the pork chops on all sides, then set them aside. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the sauerkraut and saute 5 minutes. Add the potato, caraway seeds, juniper berries and the brown sugar and stir to combine. Place the browned bratwurst and pork chops on top of the sauerkraut mixture. Add the chicken stock, Riesling and water. Place lid on top and bake for 45 minutes.

CHOUCROUTE AU CHAMPAGNE

Steps:

• 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.

SOUTHERN SMOKED CHOUCROUTE GARNI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Cut the potatoes and turnips and steam them until al dente. Warm the sauerkraut and bury the meats in the sauerkraut. Bring to a simmer and braise for 30 minutes covered in the oven until everything is cooked through. Add chicken stock or water as necessary to keep moistened during the cooking process.
• Rinse the sauerkraut of most of the salt in repeated cold-water washings. In the olive oil, sweat the onions until translucent. Add the wine and reduce. Add the sauerkraut and seasonings and cook to coat with the wine. Add the chicken stock, caraway seeds, bay leaves and pepper and simmer until most of the liquid is reduced. Adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary.
• Yield: 4 to 6 servings
• Mix the sugars and salts together, then spread a layer in a pan. Place your pork, duck or other meat to be smoked on top of the cure and sprinkle more on top until completely covered. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse all the sugar/salt off, pat dry and smoke in a stovetop smoker.
• Yield: 6 pounds

CHOUCROUTE AU CHAMPAGNE

Steps:

• Line a deep kettle with slices of salt pork, add the sliced onions and chopped garlic. Put the sauerkraut on top with a large piece of salt pork and grind plenty of pepper over it. Add just enough champagne or white wine to cover the sauerkraut. Simmer on top of the stove or in a 300°F oven for 4 to 6 hours. The longer it cooks, the better it will be.
• Smoked pork loin is a natural accompaniment for choucroute. Roast it for 10 to 15 minutes per pound or until thoroughly heated through. Bratwurst, vaurenwurst, knockwurst, and good well seasoned frankfurters are also tasty additions. Use any or all these meats. To serve, heap the choucroute in the middle of a platter and arrange slices of meat around it.
• If the sauerkraut was cooked in white wine, place half a bottle or two splits of champagne in the center of the sauerkraut. At the table, give the bottle a good shake and remove corks so the champagne gushes out over the sauerkraut. Serve with plain boiled potatoes. With this, drink champagne or Riesling.

CHOUCROUTE GARNIE

Steps:

• Place ham hocks in large saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is very tender, about 2 hours. Transfer hocks to medium bowl. Boil broth until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Place hock meat in medium bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover hock meat and broth separately; chill.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add bratwurst and bacon. Sauté until bacon is crisp and bratwurst is brown, about 10 minutes. Place in bowl with hock meat.
• Add onions, spices and bay leaves to same pot. Sauté until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add apples; sauté 2 minutes. Mix in sauerkraut. Add all meats; press to submerge. Add reserved broth and wine. Boil 10 minutes. Cover choucroute and bake 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, cook potatoes in pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 18 minutes. Drain; cool slightly. Cut potatoes in half. Dip cut sides into parsley. Arrange sauerkraut and meats on platter. Surround with potatoes. Serve with mustards and horseradish.