Bigos is originally a traditional Polish dish. There are similar preparations in neighbouring countries. The basic ingredients are sauerkraut, white cabbage and various kinds of meat. This is a mixture of everything, from duck to pork, venison, lamb and beef. A piece of Polish sausage is a must. Bigos should always contain more meat than cabbage. The addition of dried plums is also quite common. Otherwise, there are apparently as many variants as there are Polish family cooks. Here is my own version with game stew as a basis.

bigos with wild boar and deer

ingredients - info sauerkraut natural white cabbage carrots mushrooms onions garlic plums wild boar stew venison stew butter game stock

dried porcini mushrooms bouquet garni pepper and salt marjoram cloves juniper berries Polish sausage smoked bacon apples Madeira honey tomato puree

Cut the onions into slices. Clean the mushrooms and cut them into quarters. Cut the white cabbage into thin strips. Cut the peeled carrots into small cubes. Crush a couple of garlic cloves. Bring the sauerkraut to the boil with the water and cook for a minute. Soak the dried mushrooms. Melt a knob of butter in a pan and fry the white cabbage, onion, diced carrot, garlic and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Leave to fry for at least 10 minutes. Spoon this preparation into a cast-iron casserole. Add the drained sauerkraut, together with the plums, the soaking water of the porcini mushrooms and a glass of game stock. Add a bouquet garni made from thyme, rosemary, parsley stalks and bay leaf. Season with a few juniper berries, a few pieces of cloves and marjoram. Fry the wild boar and deer stew meat in a pan with bubbling butter until golden brown. Season with pepper and salt. Leave everything to stew on a low heat for at least 2 hours with the lid on the pan. Check every now and then that the meat is cooked and does not burn. Let the preparation rest in a cool place overnight.

The next day. Peel a few apples and remove the core. Cut the fruit into cubes. Cut the slices of smoked bacon in half and fry them crispy in some butter. Cut the smoked sausage into slices. Bring the bigos back to temperature and mix in the previous ingredients. Then mix in a few tablespoons of tomato puree and a glass of Madeira. If desired, correct the taste with a dash of liquid honey. Let the preparation simmer for at least another half hour. Serve with brown bread, boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes.