Kitchen Diary

What can Is say? After three weeks of tasting, agonising (did I slice it too thick, hey is that mold, why is this getting soggy, why doesn’t it stay submerged) the sauerkraut is pretty much ready to eat.

And it’s fantastic. Sour, crunchy, full of flavour with an intensity that’s completely lacking in the pasteurised, store bought stuff. Just wunderful. The kimchi pot is working fine, keeping oxygen out but letting the build up gases escape. I ended up boiling a bunch of large stones to get them clean, then used them to keep the kraut submerged in the brine.

Tonight I am test cooking for our Christmas party where we’ll be serving Choucroute Garnie à l’Alsacienne. I’ve got smoked pork belly, smoked sausage, a pork hock. All braising in a Dutch oven on a bed of sauerkraut with white wine and juniper berris.