Here it is Jaga
Polish Hunter Stew
(Bigos)
Not for vegetarians! This is just crammed with meats and sausages, with the sweetness of apples more than balanced by the sharpness of sauerkraut--but it's hearty and delicious and really quite unforgettable. Traditionally served in Poland as a good-luck New Year's dish, it was originally eaten only by the Polish aristocracy (they being the only ones allowed to hunt game on their estates...and the only ones who could afford so much meat). Many many folks have written in to comment and amend--please see their remarks below. In the meantime, serve hot to 6 people as a filling meal, with boiled potatoes, a dish of sour cream, and lots of bread on the side.
* 1 cup chopped bacon
* 1 pound of boneless pork, cut into small cubes
* 3 cloves of garlic, minced
* 3 onions, quartered
* 1/2 pound mushrooms, quartered
* 2 cups beef stock
* 2 Tablespoons sugar
* 2 bay leaves
* 2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed under cold water and drained
* 3 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
* 2 cups canned tomatoes, with juice, cut into pieces
* 1 cup diced cooked ham
* 1 and 1/2 cups Polish sausage, cut into small chunks
* salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: sour cream, served on the side
Fry the bacon in a Dutch oven, to render the fat, then toss in the pork chunks, garlic, onions, and mushrooms. Saute until the meat is browned--about 5 minutes.
Pour in the stock, tomatoes with their juice, sugar, bay leaves, sauerkraut, and apples, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours. Stir in the ham and sausage, then cover and cook on medium-low heat for about 30 more minutes.
When ready to serve, remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. Ladle into bowls and serve with boiled potatoes, a bowl of sour cream, and thick, crusty bread.
Comments and variations:
* AUTHENTICITY ALERT! I've been contacted by Kazimierz Ziezio, who gives the following excellent advice to true hunters: "Some Hunter's stew--Where's the game? Add vension! Maybe some pheasant and rabbit. Saute the meat in butter add good Hungarian paprika, then sauté the mushrooms in the drippings. Add the best kielbasa you can afford. Not to do a plug, but go to
www.Hapskielbasa.com if you can't find kielbasa made by a Pole. Wash the kraut out of the sourkraut! Then slowly cook the Bigos a few times in a crock for a few days. Serve it with sour cream, rye bread, good beer or dry mead!!" Kaz, prompted by me, says about himself, "My dad was not a hunter, but my uncles were. My dad would usually make Bigos for his poker games with the guys he grew up with on the Polish side of Utica, NY. That was where I learned to make his variation & play poker. But I've also had Bigos in a Polish-Chinese resturant that used to be open locally where the Polish chef made "Bigos from Warsawa"--tomato based & completely meatless! And in Poland where it resembled spare ribs & sour kraut. There are as many variations as there are Polish kitchens. Wesolych Swiat!"
* Sophie Dill of Las Vegas, Nevada, notes: "being of Polish heritage--this soup always included chunks of potato. Also, adding 1/2 head of fresh cabbage makes it a much healthier soup! Otherwise, it brings back memories of "soup for dinner"--about 5 nights a week when I was growing up, about 50 years ago!!"
* Kazimierz Michalak adds that, from an eastern Poland point of view, the best variation is the one that uses equal parts sauerkraut and cabbage in the mix--and game, of course.
* Wladek Wolanski of Coatbridge says, "My father was from Drochobycz in pre-war Poland and often took over the kitchen to cook Bigos,which was rich, hearty and utterly delicious.He used to add stewing steak and pork with plenty garlic, also canned tomatoes and tomato puree to the recipe.His friend , my Uncle Tony was a Polish butcher who made a vast array of Kielbasa which was enthusiastically added to the pot.Usually the more piwo that had been consumed , the better the resulting dish seemed to be.Not a classical chef tip but nonetheless it "seemed" to work. Bigos has been a great addition to Scottish nights in our family especially big football matches wiyh a good crowd of friends round."
* Here's Shirley P., trying it for the first time: "At the time when I was making it, I kept thinking, this is a weird soup. But now every bowl I have, I like it more. I look forward to coming home and having a bowl of it."