The Man Who Ate Everything - Jeffrey Steingarten [109]
Choucroute garnie à l’Alsacienne is so demanding under the best of circumstances that, after two meticulously authentic meals, I lowered my sights a few millimeters and limited myself to meats that can be collected in New York City after no more than two or three hours of shopping. I sometimes splurge by dressing up the choucroute with a roast pheasant or duck legs, grilled quail or confit of goose—all possibilities in Alsace—and enjoy substituting spaetzle or sliced, fried potato dumplings for boiled potatoes.
There is nothing remarkable about the recipe that follows. It is, I think, simply delicious in an everyday, authentic Alsatian sort of way.
Choucroute Garnie à l’Alsacienne
At least 3 hours before the feast, melt a scant ½ cup of duck or goose fat in a heavy 9- to 12-quart flameproof casserole or stockpot, add 5 cups of very finely sliced yellow onions, and cook, stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes until the onions are limp and translucent but not browned. Meanwhile, put 5 pounds of drained fresh young sauerkraut in a large strainer, pour 2 quarts of cold water over it, press firmly to expel the water, and leave to drain again. On a 6-inch square of cheesecloth that has been rinsed in warm water, place 25 black peppercorns, 1½ teaspoons of coriander seeds, 5 cloves, and 15 juniper berries; gather up the corners and tie with kitchen twine. Then make a bundle of 6 branches of parsley, 4 branches of fresh thyme, and 2 bay leaves; wrap the leaf of a leek or a strip of parchment paper around the middle of the bundle and tie tightly with twine.
When the onions are ready, stir in 1½ cups of dry Alsatian wine (Riesling or Sylvaner), 2 cups of homemade chicken broth, and 2 cups of cold water. Add a well-rinsed 1½-pound slab of unsmoked, dry-salted, or brine-cured bacon from which you have removed the rind, and which you have cut crosswise into two equal pieces; a 1½-pound slab of smoked bacon, also divided crosswise; 2 dry-salted or brine-cured pig’s knuckles or shanks, rinsed well; 1 pound of smoked pork butt from which you have removed the netting, if any; the spice bag, the herb bundle, and 3 carrots, scraped and washed. Sprinkle ¼ cup of finely minced garlic and 2 teaspoons of coarse sea salt over all, and lay on the sauerkraut, fluffing it with your fingers.
Add enough cold water to bring the liquid to an inch below the top of the sauerkraut. Cover and, over medium heat, bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and continue cooking at a strong simmer for 1¼ hours, stirring every 20 minutes. The sauerkraut should still be crisp. Remove from the heat and let cool for anywhere between 30 minutes and 1½ hours. Then begin the final preparation, which requires 45 minutes of frantic yet ultimately satisfying work.
Peel 4 medium potatoes, cut them in half, and cook in 1 cup of the sauerkraut liquid until tender.
Preheat your broiler. Place 4 quarts of water over high heat; when it comes to a boil, it will be used to cook the sausages. Meanwhile, with long tongs, remove everything but the sauerkraut and its liquid from the casserole: Place the two pieces of smoked bacon on a plate. Place the salted bacon, the smoked pork butt, and the pig’s knuckles in a large baking dish, moisten with sauerkraut liquid, cover with a wet kitchen towel, and keep them warm in an oven or toaster oven set to low, or over a pot of barely simmering water. Moisten the kitchen towel again from time to time. Discard the carrots, the spice bag, and the herb bundle. Put the sauerkraut casserole over