
Sauerkraut (zuurkool) is a firm Dutch favourite much loved as a good hearty winter dish. In Holland you can still buy it straight from a wooden barrel at our small village greengrocers. Sauerkraut was simply a way of preserving white cabbage through the winter by placing the shredded cabbage in a barrel and adding salt. Nowadays it’s more frequently found in supermarkets (try the Eastern European section!) – the best stuff is vacuum packed, but the glass jars are okay too. Make sure to put white pepper on the table for seasoning – nothing better than a peppery sauerkraut dish!
Prep Time | : | 10 minutes |
Cook Time | : | 50 minutes |
Total Time | : | 1 hour |
Serves | : | 4 |
Ingredients
- 1Kg potatoes
- 450g Sauerkraut
- 250g minced beef,
- Small tin pineapple chunks
- Grated Cheese (optional)
- tbsp pepper
Preparation – Option 1 – Layered with Mash
- Peel and chop the potatoes
- Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes and then mash them.
- Fry the minced beef and season with salt and pepper.
- Fill an oven dish with layers of mashed potato, sauerkraut, minced beef, pineapple chunks, and then add more sauerkraut and then top with mashed potato.
- If you’re not too bothered about calorie content, add some grated cheese to the top layer
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Cook in the oven for approx 30 minutes until nicely golden on top.
Preparation – Option 2 – All Mashed together [Stampot in Dutch]
- Peel and chop the potatoes
- Place the sauerkraut on top in the same pan then boil for approximately 20 minutes and mash together once the potatoes are done.
- Add minced beef (fry in separate pan) and mash through again.
Tips:
- The pineapple is used to reduce the bitter taste of the sauerkraut. However raisins and citrus fruit such as clementines also combine well with sauerkraut. So does white wine!
- If you find the sauerkraut too sour, remember next time to cook it separately for approx 10 mins in a little water, then drain away the liquid before using the sauerkraut as described above.
- Serving just mashed potatoes and sauerkraut works well too, particularly combined with smoked sausage!
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