choucroute...

[Tricia]

or sauerkraut.

I saw it in an article on Alsacian cooking and wondered how it's made. Sort of a pickled cabbage, but pickled in salt not vinegar.

I was thinking of trying to make it, perhaps with red cabbage.

Has anyone ever tried it, or made it?

[NickP]

Many years ago when I was a child, we lived next door to a German family in an apartment block in Montreal. The mother cooked this dish virtually everyday and the smell haunted me for years. Now, well into my adult years, we recently went to a social evening  in the local Marie and it was Choucroute, no choice, so  I accepted it with trepidation and must say when I tasted it, it was fine, the cabbage Ham and sausage combination really worked. Just goes to show that childhood memories are not always to be trusted. I am now looking forward to the next "Choucroute evening".  [B] [B]

Edit: Apologies to all, my better half tells me it's not ham, but belly of pork. I had better stick to chopping wood and strangling nails. [:$]

[Tricia]

That's interestin, Nick;

So is choucroute a french or a german dish?

[NickP]

[quote user="Tricia"]That's interestin, Nick;
So is choucroute a french or a german dish?
[/quote]

 

I suppose it all depends on whether you are German or French, remember the people of Alsace used to speak German, as as at one time it was German territory, I would take a guess that it was originally German. I think I'm right in saying that it is only really popular in Northern France?

[Pierre ZFP]

For the German version there are (at least!) two main types, the young and the old.  The old version ferments away (for years sometimes I'm told) in dark cool cellers and is to my mind definitely an acquired taste.  The young version is much more like French choucroute and I like that a lot, good in sandwiches!

Very popular in Alsace, Lorraine and other places that border on Germany

 

[suein56]

[quote user="Pierre ZFP"]

Very popular in Alsace, Lorraine and other places that border on Germany   [/quote]

It can be seen quite often on the menu ouvrier here in southern Brittany; the dish seems to be popular.

Sue

[Iceni]

The old version sounds very much like kimchi.

Please remember that Alsace is regularly acquired by Germany (another reclamation must be somewhat overdue) which may explain its popularity up there - but not why is is often seen here in 46. 

John

[NickP]

Apologies to all, for my ealier post, my better half tells me it's not ham, but belly of pork. I had better stick to chopping wood and strangling nails. [:$]

[Swissie]

Just eaten our first choucroute of the year, after a cross country skiing morning - very popular in the Jura too. Could never eat one without lots of fresh air and exercise first!