Polish Bigos Recipe
Bigos, or Hunter’s Stew, is a traditional Polish dish made with a hearty mix of meats, mushrooms, and sauerkraut, which are fried and then slow-simmered for hours. Often prepared during colder months, it is commonly made in large quantities, as its flavor is said to improve with time. Recognized as Poland's national dish, Bigos holds a significant place in the country's culinary history.
Ingredients
- Polish sausage(kielbasa) – 1 lb
- Smoked bacon – 1 lb
- Smoked ham hock – 1
- Other meats (ham, venison, pork, etc.) – 1-2 lb
- Sauerkraut – 2 lbs
- White onions, medium – 2
- Mixed mushrooms (porcini, cremini, etc) – 1.5 lbs
- Vegetable Oil- 2 tbsp
- Dried marjoram- 2 tbsp
- Cumin- ½ tsp
- Juniper berries- 1 tbsp (optional)
- Caraway seeds – 1 tsp.
- Plum jam – 3.5 oz.
- Tomato Paste- 3-4 oz.
- Tomato Sauce – 15 oz.
Instructions
- Prep dry mushrooms by placing them in warm water to soak for 2-3 hours. If possible, let them soak overnight.
- Prep juniper– crush roughly.
- Prep meat– cut meats into bite-sized chunks– your ability to do this will depend on what meats you include.
- Prep sauerkraut– if your sauerkraut is sour, boil in water for 10 minutes then drain.
- Once mushrooms are soft, drain and reserve their soaking water then cut into bite-size pieces.
- Chop onions and bacon into fine pieces.
- Fry onions and bacon for 10 minutes then mix with sauerkraut in a pot.
- Using your pan, add oil and fry your selections of meat that can be fried. Larger pieces like ham hock will go directly into the pot.
- Add meat to the pot along with marjoram, pepper, salt, cumin, plum jam, caraway and tomato puree.
- Chop mushrooms and fry in a pan briefly, just until they start losing their water, then sprinkle with salt and add to pot.
- Add in juniper.
- Add in tomato sauce and cover to simmer. Check at 2 hours and then 30 minute intervals from there. The longer it cooks the better it will be, but you can use the ham hock as a scope for when to dig in. Once the meat falls easily off the bone, you can eat.
- Before serving: go through stew and pick out bones.
Nutrition
Calories: 662kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 52gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 161mgSodium: 2241mgFiber: 7gSugar: 15g
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