Braised Cabbage with Smoked Sausage, Potatoes and Sauerkraut

Braised Cabbage with Smoked Sausage, Sauerkraut and Potatoes

This dish is one of my husband's and children's favourites. For my German husband it brings back fond memories of childhood meals. I had never even heard of sauerkraut until I moved to a  predominantly German settled city. Sauerkraut is cabbage that is fermented in a tangy brine and  it is delicious! It also has many nutritional benefits and it s a great prebiotic. You can make your own, but can easily be purchased in a store. I would highly recommend you look in the International aisle or the refrigerated section so you are getting the real deal.  You can certainly leave the sauerkraut out or put it on the side if not sure. 

You can purchase polish smoked sausage readily at the store but if you can't find it, you can substitute it for kielbassa or bratwurst. 

As with all of my recipes, the measurements for seasonings are just estimates. If you are not fond of a spice leave it out and if you would like more of another then do it! That is why you will see a QB in the ingredients which in Italian means "quanto basta", when it is enough for you. Season to your preference. It is always a good idea to start with a little bit and build your seasonings as you go along and let your taste buds be your guide! 

Ingredients

• 2 lbs polish sausages (or how much you would like) cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• 1 medium cabbage washed and roughly chopped
• 10-12  mini red potatoes washed and quartered (or halved depending on their size). You can also use regular sized potatoes and chop into nice chunk sizes . You don't want the potatoes too small so that they maintain their shape.
• 1 medium onion (white sweet or red) chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic ( QB)
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (QB)
• 1/2 tsp dried chili seeds (peperoncino-QB)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock and a bit more if needed
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• chopped parsley for topping
• good quality sauerkraut

Directions

1. Coat the bottom of a large, deep skillet pan with olive oil and once warmed up add sausages.
2. Allow sausages to brown and then add onions, garlic, spices and stir
3. Add potatoes and then cabbage
4. Pour stock and apple cider over the cabbage
5. Add more salt and pepper
6. Cover tightly with lid and let mixture simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir every so often and taste test.
7. Once the potatoes have cooked through remove lid and continue to cook until cabbage has browned a bit and caramelized. If there is too much water, remove some so the browning can happen
8. At this point you can add the sauerkraut or warm it up to have available to put on top
9. Sprinkle with parsley and serve!!!
10. Don't forget to taste test as you go along and adjust accordingly!

Buon Appetito!

Fatto con amore,

Elena💜