Makes 6 servings Makes 6 servings
Like my speedy take on cassoulet, this is a stripped-down answer to choucroûte garni, an Alsatian winter ritual that cooks sauerkraut with odds and ends of poultry, meats, and sausages. My recipe shortens and simplifies the ingredient list, omitting some optional, traditional items like green apples and gin, and only calling for one type of meat rather than an assortment. It also uses Savoy cabbage in place of ready-made sauerkraut, and amplifies its tangy quality by adding distilled white vinegar.
3 tablespoons olive oil
Twelve 4-ounce links sweet or spicy pork sausage, or a combination, pricked with a fork
1/2 large Spanish onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
8 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into thin slivers
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 small head Savoy cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 quarts store-bought, reduced-sodium chicken broth or homemade Chicken Stock
Whole-grain mustard, optional
1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and brown on all sides for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove one from the pot and cut it open to check that it is cooked all the way though to the center. The juices should run clear instead of pink and the meat should be hot all the way in the center.
2. Remove the sausages from the pot and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pan.
3. Add the onion, garlic, and fennel seeds and cook, stirring, until the onion softens but does not brown, about 4 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Pour in the wine and vinegar, bring to a boil, and cook until nearly completely evaporated, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the broth, bring to a boil over high heat, and then lower the heat and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes, until the flavors are well integrated and the cabbage is thoroughly softened. Return the sausages to the pot for 15 minutes to heat through.
6. To serve, divide the stew among 6 warm bowls and pass mustard on the side, if desired.