Sauerkraut is such a thing: if it's done well, I could cheat. And then it should also be so healthy ...! However, it is seldom that I spontaneously get cravings for sauerkraut... But since my sister Anaïs started raving about our Basque-Alsatian sauerkraut a while ago, I've actually only been waiting to finally taste it to try too.
How good that I recently came across Karin Iden's recipe for a sauerkraut casserole with potatoes and apples while browsing various kitchen blogs (many thanks to Valentina's cookbook!). The original recipe is vegetarian and is supposed to be prepared with fresh sauerkraut, but since I think it's nice to change recipes according to taste and mood of the day anyway, we're making the casserole à la causse today, ie with juicy duck confit and the ready-made sauerkraut from the can.
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 4 medium-sized potatoes, mostly waxy
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 2 crumbly apples
- 1 can of sauerkraut
- 1 jar confit de canard
- some salt and freshly ground pepper
- Nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 egg
- some crème épaisse
- 2 tbsp medium hot mustard
You can also add onions and garlic if you like. I'm not that big of a fan of it, so I'll skip both.
preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (gas mark 3, fan 180°C). Peel, wash and slice the potatoes. Mix a tablespoon of crème épaisse in 200ml of water and bring the potato slices to a boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until almost done, then remove from the fire, drain and allow to evaporate.
- Wash, quarter, core and slice the apples. Grease a fireproof dish with some rapeseed oil. Distribute the sauerkraut, potato and apple slices irregularly in the dish. Season with nutmeg in between.
- Mix the egg with 2 tablespoons of crème épaisse, some water and the mustard. Season with salt and pepper (carefully!) and pour over the ingredients.
- Bake in the preheated oven on the second rack from the bottom for 40 minutes.
- Garnish with chives, serve hot and pour the wine with it. Bon Appetit!
The result is a rich, hearty casserole that will make you happy and lick your fingers. The apples give a nice sweetish freshness that loosens up the whole thing and keeps it from becoming too heavy.
If you notice that the apples and potatoes are not quite done but the top crust is beginning to darken, place some aluminum foil over the casserole for the rest of the time in the oven. So nothing can burn!
Our wine recommendation: Jeff Carrel's 2012 Puydeval , a lush, concentrated, intense, complex and balanced wine with aromas of ripe black cherries and blackberries, a nice freshness and spicy notes made from 60% Cabernet Franc, 30% Syrah and 10% Merlot .
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The original recipe comes from Karin Iden's cookbook "The new cookbook through the year: 365 seasonal recipes"
