Light Choucroute Garnie (Alsatian Sauerkraut Platter)

📝 Ingredients

• 1 kg plain cooked sauerkraut (without wine)
• 8 Strasbourg sausages (about 40 g each)
• 150 g smoked turkey lardons
• 8 small waxy potatoes (about 100 g each)
• 2 brown onions
• 1 chicken stock cube + 400 ml hot water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 4 tsp Dijon mustard (to serve)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Large casserole dish with lid
• Colander
• Peeling knife
• Wooden spatula
• Fork

📖 Steps

1. Put the sauerkraut in a large colander and rinse under cold water for 1 minute, loosening it with your fingers, to remove some of the acidity and salt. Then squeeze it firmly between your hands to wring it out well.
2. Peel and slice the onions. Heat the oil in the casserole dish over a medium heat and fry the onions and turkey lardons for 5 minutes, stirring, until the onions are translucent and lightly golden.
3. Add the sauerkraut, teasing it apart with a fork, along with the bay leaves, caraway seeds and a good grind of pepper. Pour in the stock (cube dissolved in 400 ml hot water) and stir to distribute the onions and lardons evenly.
4. Bring to a simmer, cover and leave to simmer gently for 20 minutes over a low heat. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and leave them whole if small, or halve them to get evenly sized pieces.
5. Push the potatoes down into the sauerkraut so they are well surrounded by the juices, cover again and cook for a further 25 to 30 minutes over a low heat. Stir once or twice and add a little water if it starts to catch on the bottom.
6. Pierce a potato with the tip of a knife: it should go in without resistance. Then lay the Strasbourg sausages on top of the sauerkraut, cover and heat through for 8 to 10 minutes over a very low heat, without boiling, so they don't burst.
7. Remove the bay leaves and taste: add salt only if needed, as the sauerkraut and meats are already salty. Serve piping hot in shallow bowls, with 2 sausages per person, the potatoes and the mustard on the side.