sauerkraut stew

Making Polish bigos involves stewing sauerkraut, white cabbage, meat and sausage along with a handful of spices to create a warming, hearty dish that’s moreishly delicious. 

Authentic Polish Bigos Stew Recipe

sauerkraut (drained, chopped)

white cabbage (chopped)

chicken thighs (or other meats, see Notes*)

Polish smoked sausage (kielbasa, diced)

porcini mushrooms (small handful)

prunes (pitted, halved)

onion (finely chopped)

caraway seeds, dried marjoram and paprika (each)

allspice and juniper berries (each)

bay leaf

tomato puree

vegetable/olive oil

water

In a large pot heat 3 tablespoons of the oil, add the caraway seeds, juniper and allspice berries, bay leaf and onion and gently fry for 3 minutes stirring often.

Push the onion mixture to the side and add the chicken thighs. Cook for 2 minutes on each side.

Add the sauerkraut, cabbage, prunes, tomato puree, mushrooms, marjoram, paprika, pepper to taste and half of the water and stir to combine. Cover, bring to the boil then simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally. Top up with more water as needed (make sure the bigos doesn&#39;t stick to the bottom of the pan).

In a frying pan heat the remaining oil (1-2 tablespoons) and fry the chopped sausage until crispy stirring often. Add the sausage into the stew and continue cooking gently for 1-1½ hours. Add a little more water if needed.

Remove the chicken from the pot, separate the meat from the bone and put the meat pieces back into the pot. Serve with boiled/mashed potatoes or rye/pumpernickel bread.

Dear Monika, thank you so much for the fantastic recipe! I cooked bigos for the first time with my Polish-born boyfriend and he was surprised how authentic it was! It was absolutely divine and made our New Year’s Day. We can’t wait to cook more from your recipes. Thanks again, take care x

Delicious, The pot it was cooked in was wiped out clean. The house smelled beautifully as soon as the onions and spices released the amazing aroma,. I did not follow the exact measurements since I already cooked Bigos once in the past (different version) but I love this one the spices are added right after onion for them to infuse all the rest of the ingredients. It is already spring with rainy and cool days - perfect comfort food that tastes amazing. I did not get rid of the fat but thinned it with juices release from the sour kraut and cabbage. The juices from the churros sausage combined with juices from the cabbage and sour kraut add an extra flavor to the dish. For as long as the fat is not burned and just slightly caramelized, the juices from the cabbage and sour kraut dissolve the caramelized sausage juices without losing the flavor. Fat is not always bad. Our brains need some fat.

I had bigos the first time at a Polish restaurant in London.  Needless to say, I loved it.  My dad is Polish and made homemade sauerkraut, pierogis and galompkis. For some reason, bigos was not on the menu.  After having it in London while on holiday, I have striven to recreate the initial experience.  To that end, I've used many different online Polish recipes and even a recipe from a Croatian cookbook my Croat former boss gave me.  All have been different and this one was too. 

I made many many substitutions and changes to this recipe based on ingredients on-hand.  Didn't have chicken.  Used ventriche for the bacon.  Had chorizo sausages.  Didn't have cabbage but had homemade sauerkraut. Added some carrots.  I had never put mushrooms (used TJ's frozen cooked and seasoned) or prunes in before but followed your recipe for most/all of the seasoning.  I had some homemade chicken stock and used that instead of water.  

Bottom line is that using your ideas my wife and I agree this was the best bigos we have made.  The flavors melded together so well.  I used quite a few mushrooms.  But nothing stood out and it combined to make a very satisfying comfort food meal on a cold winter night.   The first night we had by itself.  The 2nd night we ate with homemade sourdough bread grilled cheese sandwiches.  

Thank-you for a wonderful recipe.

My husband is Polish. The first time I ever had Bigos was when a Polish friend of his made a big pot of it this winter, using this recipe, and shared some with us. I asked him for the recipe, and made it a few weeks later. The look of love and appreciation on my husbands face when he ate it was a gift to me. Now, I have an authentic Polish recipe, that he loves, in my arsenal. Making it today. Thanks! I owe you one!

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