Choucroute

We have family coming to our house Christmas Eve. We will exchange gifts, play games, work on a jigsaw puzzle. (No, not the new one with kids dancing around the Christmas tree; I already did that one!) I will serve a simple supper of choucroute, spinach salad with oranges, dried cranberries, red onion, honey roasted almonds and poppy seed dressing, rolls, cookies and peppermint ice cream.

Choucroute is a dish from the Alsace-Lorraine area of France. It typically is made with pork, sausages, and sauerkraut, reflecting the German influence in the region. It can be prepared before hand and refrigerated, then baked about 1 hour. It is a very forgiving recipe. I first made this when our church in Dallas had an early Christmas Eve candlelight service. Since I sang in the choir, I always had to be there early. I put the choucroute in the oven before I left the house, but baked it at 325 degrees and used a bit more apple juice so it wouldn’t dry out. It would bake almost 2 hours and still come out fine. It was nice to walk in the door from being at church and have a delicious wonderful-smelling meal ready to eat. I have also cooked this in a crockpot (browning the meat and onions first), and it also turned out well.

This recipe is from Betty Crocker’s Easy Entertaining (c1992). Using this cookbook reminds me of my trip to New York City where I bought the cookbook from Strand, the famous used-book store. I have several photos from Top Of The World lookout atop the World Trade Center which of course was destroyed in the September 11th terrorist attack. So many things have changed, but this recipe has endured thru the years.

Choucroute (Serves 8)

4 Polish sausages (about 3/4 pound) I have omitted this in recent years, and served a whole brat to each person instead
4 bratwurst sausages (about 3/4 pound)
4 boneless pork loin chops, cut in half (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup dry white wine or apple juice
2 tart red apples, cored and sliced
1 jar (32 ounces) sauerkraut, drained I use canned Bavarian sauerkraut with caraway seeds

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté sausages in large skillet, pricking to release fat; drain. Add pork and sauté until brown. Stir in onion and sauté. Mix all ingredients in Dutch oven (or casserole dish); cover. Bake 45 to 55 minutes (longer if it has been refrigerated) or until pork reaches 160 degrees on meat thermometer. Stir occasionally.