Every year Rick Podowski attends the Polish Festival at St. Brother Albert Church in San Jose (This year--September 17, 2017) where he watches Polish Folk dances and indulges in Polish food. His favorite dish is the combination plate of bigos, pierogi and cabbage rolls with bread. When he makes bigos at home, he serves it with store bought pierogi and salad.
The recipe can be found in Murder Before The Bell. There is nothing better than eating bigos while reading a murder mystery.
Bigos—Hunter's Stew (The Polish national Dish)
This recipe comes from the Bigos Bar website first developed by Mike Oborski, the honorary consul of the Republic of Poland in Kidderminister, England. Rick likes this dish with a glass of Burrell School's Syrah because the boldness of the dish is complemented by the boldness of the wine.
Serves 4 (This recipe can be doubled or tripled)
1 lb. sauerkraut
1/2 lb. ham with bone, pork spareribs, pork rib roast, or chicken
1 bay leaves
1/2 ounce. dried mushrooms, chopped
1/2 onion chopped and sautéed in butter
5 black peppercorns
3 allspice berries
1/4-teaspoon salt
4 cups beef broth,
1 lbs. green cabbage, chopped like sauerkraut
1 tablespoons butter or margarine
l pound of Polish Kiełbasa
Rinse sauerkraut with cold water and drain well. In a large stockpot, combine sauerkraut, ham or pork, bay leaves, mushrooms, peppercorns, allspice, and salt. Add 2 cups of broth, bouillon, or water. Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes over medium heat. Cover and simmer over low heat 45 minutes. Remove meat and let it cool.
Place cabbage in a large saucepan. Add remaining 2 cups broth, bouillon, or water. Bring to boil. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat, 1 hour or until cabbage is tender. Add to sauerkraut mixture. Bone the cooked meat. Cut cooked meat into 1/2-inch cubes.
Melt butter or margarine in a large skillet. Add cooked meat, smoked sausage, and white sausage. Sauté over medium heat 10 minutes or until browned. Add to sauerkraut mixture. Also, add the onions. Cover and cook over low heat 1 hour or longer. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve hot.
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| Bigos, pierogi, and salad--delicious! |
The secret of old-time Bigos is that it gets better as it's reheated on successive days, peaking at the 6th or 7th day. Store covered in the refrigerator.
