JBug's Kitchen Antics

Baked Brats and Sauerkraut

There's something about cool weather that makes comfort food mandatory. You know what I mean? Of course it doesn't hurt that we have a local store that produces the most amazing fresh sausage of which I'm determined to take advantage since I'm only here in Tucson for another 2 weeks. Can you believe it? Ten years of plotting, scheming and dreaming of being somewhere else and our dreams are finally coming true. Now that's progress!

Last night's dinner effort was really no effort at all. Simply onions seasoned with a little rosemary and sauteed in a Dutch oven until translucent, followed by browned brats, drained jarred sauerkraut (I used Libby's crunchy) and a touch of white wine and chicken stock. That's it. One hour in a covered pot in a 325 oven and Bob's your uncle. 

Delicious with grainy mustard and sweet applesauce on the side, the whole shebang would be fabulous with some boiled potatoes glammed up with butter and parsley, but we went another direction. We enjoyed our German style feast with crispy sauteed potato/cheddar perogies courtesy of Mrs. T's and Safeway's freezer section. Hey, I had every intention of making them from scratch but you know how it goes, right?

All but 3 of my 300 or so cookbooks along with darn near every bit of kitchen equipment's already in Oregon waiting to be unpacked and placed into our new kitchen that hasn't been built yet. There is progress to report in that respect though. Mike and Rob at Alsea Bay Granite and Interiors have the kitchen ripped out down to the studs and the electrician, plumber and sheet rock guys'll be doing their thing during the next week or so before the new cabinets go in. It's killin' me being here while all the work is going on, but I bet they're thanking their lucky stars. At least I'm not there to change my mind every 20 seconds. 

Baked Brats and Sauerkraut (adapted from finecooking.com) 

4 large fresh bratwurst sausages

2 tablespoons butter

2 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 – 32 ounce jar sauerkraut, well drained (I used Libby’s Crispy)

1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaf

Mustard as garnish

Applesauce as garnish

Heat a Dutch oven or large oven proof skillet with lid over medium high heat. Add butter and when melted add sliced onions. Cook until softened and just beginning to turn golden – about 10 minutes. Remove to a plate.  Add olive oil to the pot and when oil is hot, add sausages. Brown on all sides and remove to a plate when done. Return onions to the pot, add sauerkraut and place sausages on top. Sprinkle evenly with white wine and chicken broth. Bury bay leaf in the middle of the pot, cover and place in 325 oven for 1 hour. Serve with mustard and applesauce on the side. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Grilled Chicken Salad with Tzatziki Sauce

Two year's ago - Buttermilk Cheese Scones and Kicky Kumquat Marmalade

Three year's ago - Spicy Chicken with Apricots and Olives

 

Braised Red Cabbage with Apples and Caraway

There tends to be some repetition when you blog as much as we do since we're all about every day cooking and all so bear with me as I talk about the braised red cabbage we had last night.

We happen to love the stuff although it was one of the cooked veggies the Big Guy avoided before we tied the knot. He's come to realize there's hardly anything better for pure simple deliciousness than cooked cabbage, but even I admit it doesn't make the house smell particularly good the day after the night before.

This particular recipe is our favorite and includes cabbage, red onion and apples all braised low and slow for two whole hours in a mix of red wine vinegar, brown sugar, chicken stock and caraway seeds. You'd think it would be cooked to death now wouldn't you but it isn't. There's still some crunch left to the cabbage and it's absolutely silken in texture and full of the nuances of apples and caraway.

Served along with some lovely fresh pork bratwurst sausages from our local purveyor "Sprouts", it's a lovely incredibly easy and very delicious solution to a weeknight dinner. The best part about it, the cabbage can be prepared the night before and reheated because it only gets better. Try it next time you need a different kind of side dish. It's fabulous with any kind of pork, especially schnitzel and great with duck too.

Braised Red Cabbage with Apple and Caraway (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Sable and Rosenfeld, Elegant Entertaining)

1 large head red cabbage coarsely chopped into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons butter

1 red onion sliced

2 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Black pepper to taste

In a large non-reactive bowl (stainless steel or glass) combine cabbage, red wine vinegar and salt. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced onion, apples, chicken stock, brown sugar, caraway seeds and cabbage/red wine vinegar mixture. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Braise for 2 hours, stirring every half hour until cabbage is tender. Taste for seasoning and add black pepper as needed. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

A year ago - Pasta with Pancetta and Tomatoes   Two years ago - Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb Chutney

Brats with Rotkraut (Braised Red Cabbage)

If there's one thing against living in a place of perpetual summer, it's that you crave a change in season every once in a while. Last night we ventured into the flavors of fall comfort food. I know it's only the middle of August but maybe the thought of some cool weather food will make us feel slightly cooler. Not! LOL

Braised red cabbage definitely speaks of cooler weather. Also known as Rotkraut, it is popular in Austria and Germany and with very good reason. It goes wonderfully well with pork or in our case some lovely fresh bratwurst from the local market.

While there's many different recipes for braised cabbage with some including apples, orange or even caraway seeds, I kept it simple last night and included bacon drippings, lightly caramelized onions, white wine vinegar and just a touch of brown sugar. It was a perfectly wonderful autumn interlude for our tastebuds.

Braised Red Cabbage (Rotkraut) (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

4 slices bacon, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large onions, sliced

2 shallots, minced

1 medium red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons coarse sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

White wine as needed

Cook bacon over medium low heat in a large Dutch oven. When bacon is crisp, remove and reserve for another use. Add butter to bacon drippings and when melted add onions and shallots. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until onions are golden brown. Add red cabbage, white wine vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Toss well to combine. Cover and simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours until cabbage is very tender. Add white wine as required to maintain moisture in the pot. Makes 6 servings.  Download Braised Red Cabbage

A year ago - Sticky Ribs with Apricot Barbecue Sauce

Two years ago - Kind of a Nicoise Salad

Kartoffelpuffer aka German Potato Pancakes

We love sausages around here so last night we had fresh brats with onions, apples and sauerkraut and since I'm such a potato freak, we had to have those too. I debated making a warm German potato salad but settled instead on these wonderful potato pancakes.

There's got to be a b'zillion ways to make potato pancakes, all dependent of course on what country you happen to be representing at any particular time. Some are crispy and made with grated potato, some are fluffy and light using mashed spuds and some are more like crepes but they're all good. I mean REAL good.

Kartoffelpuffer are normally served with apple sauce, but I took the liberty of putting the apples into the sauerkraut and sausage fry-up and served sour cream on them instead. I'm a thinkin' in all likelihood they'd be fabulous with just about anything. Really, imagine veal or chicken scallopini with mushroom gravy all over one of these? Wow!

Before I give you the recipe, I have a couple of hints to pass along:

1. Use the right kind of potatoes - I used one Yukon Gold for starchiness and one Red Bliss for crunch, which turned out to be a perfect combination;
2. Make sure you squeeze as much moisture as possible from the potatoes. You know that potato ricer you've got taking up room in your drawer? Not only does it work wonders giving you unforgettably smooth mashed potatoes, but it's a great multi tasker for getting the juice out of pomegranate seeds and for squeezing the water outa' grated potatoes. It's a heck of a lot easier than using muscle power and a clean kitchen towel. Trust me...you'll thank me.

Kartoffelpuffer (German Potato Pancakes)

1 large Yukon Gold potato

1 large Red Bliss potato

1 large shallot

2 eggs

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Vegetable oil for frying

Peel and grate raw potatoes and shallot. Squeeze as much excess moisture from them as you can (I used a potato ricer). Place potatoes into a large bowl. Add eggs, flour, bread crumbs, salt and nutmeg.  Heat approximately a quarter inch of oil in a large heavy frying pan until hot. Place a quarter cup of potato mixture into pan and flatten out with a fork. Cook until golden brown and crisp on both sides. When cooked, place on a paper towel or racks over a sheet pan to drain excess oil. Serve hot with sour cream or applesauce. Makes 6 to 8. Download Kartoffelpuffer (German Potato Pancakes)