Bigos (or Hunter’s Stew) is one of the oldest and most traditional Polish dish.
Typical ingredients are: white cabbage and sauerkraut called kapusta kiszona, various kinds of meat (including pork, ham, bacon, beef), often whole or pureed tomatoes and mushrooms. It also may be seasoned with pepper, caraway, juniper berries, bay leaf, marjoram, plums and other ingredients.
For sure, it is not easy to make a good bigos. The taste and quality depends a lot on variety of meat and skills of cooker. And it really needs time and work. But when it is done, it is worth it. Bigos is absolutely great - it may be why it is so popular in Poland. It is eaten almost everywhere in our country. One thing is sure – we, polish people, just love bigos. :)
Przemek Warnel
Ingredients:
1.5 kg (3 lbs) sauerkraut
1 small cabbage
different kinds of meat: pork, chicken, beef, sausage (Polish kielbasa will be the best), about 250 g (0,5 lb.) of each meat, it can be freely changed to taste
smoked bacon (optional) - about 100 g (3,5 oz.)
one or two onions
mushrooms - about 50 g (1,75 oz.)
salt, pepper, allspice, laurel leaves
1 cup dry red wine
Oil
Preparation:
1.Chop the sauerkraut if necessary, add allspice and laurel leaves to it. Boil the sauerkraut in a large pot in a small amount of water for about 1 hour, until it softens.
2. Grate the cabbage, add mushrooms and boil it in a separate pot (it requires about 30-40 min). It's sauerkraut and meat which define Polish bigos, cabbage is optional. If you choose not too use it, add mushrooms to the sauerkraut.
3. It's important to use a few kinds of meat. You should choose good quality meat. It's up to you what exactly the amounts and proportions will be. We suggest about equal amount of each meat. Some smoked bacon can be added too (about half less than any of other meats), but it's not necessary.
4. Cut the meat into small pieces. Brown it in a frying pan on vegetable oil or other kind of fat. Add lots of chopped onion and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and wait until good amount of dripping appears.
5. Put the meat with dripping and onion to the pot with the sauerkraut. It is very important that you add the dripping too, because it determines the taste of the bigos very much.
6. Add the cabbage. Pour in one cup of dry red wine (not indispensible but enhances taste). Simmer it for about 30 minutes. Then your bigos is ready.
It can be served now, but remember that it's best to reheat it for a few times, as it will gain in taste and become more delicate then. Serve bigos with bread.
