Our meat masterclass: Polish stew

Tuck into a second helping of the Hairy Bikers’ mouthwatering meaty favourites from their new book 

A hearty and wholesome stew for those cold autumnal evenings 

A hearty and wholesome stew for those cold autumnal evenings 

The national dish of Poland is a rich casserole called bigos that can be made with any kind of meat, but always uses spicy Polish sausage. 

In Poland, everyone has their own favourite recipe for it and many say it’s best made in advance. We think it tastes good the first day, but if you want a ‘prepare ahead’ dish, this is it.

Serves 4-6

  • 50g (1¾oz) butter
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1tsp juniper berries (in the spice aisle of supermarkets), crushed
  • ½tsp caraway seeds
  • 300g (10½oz) pork belly or 500g (1lb 2oz) pork ribs, cut into pieces
  • 1tbsp brown sugar
  • 500g (1lb 2oz) sauerkraut
  • 200g (7oz) fresh or canned tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ a white cabbage, shredded
  • 500ml (18fl oz) chicken or beef stock
  • 10g (¼oz) dried mushrooms
  • 300g (10½oz) smoked Polish sausage, such as kabanos (from delis or supermarkets), roughly chopped
  • 1 eating apple, grated
  • Flaked sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a large flameproof casserole dish. Add the onion and fry it gently over a medium heat until it’s softened and translucent. 

Sprinkle over the juniper berries and caraway seeds, then add the pork. Turn the meat to coat it with the spices, then sprinkle over the brown sugar. Increase the heat for a couple of minutes to brown the meat, turning it to colour on all sides.

Drain the sauerkraut well and give it a rinse if you want to lessen the vinegary flavour. Squeeze it with your hands to get rid of any excess liquid. Add the sauerkraut to the onion and meat, along with the white cabbage and the tomatoes, then pour over the stock. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water, to cover. When they’ve softened, drain them and add their soaking liquor to the casserole. Chop the mushrooms finely and add them too, with the sausage and the grated apple. Simmer for 1½ hours. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

If preparing the bigos ahead, allow it to cool, then chill overnight. Reheat it for an hour the next day and again the day after that. Then eat! Baked potatoes or mash are good with this.

The Hairy Bikers’ Meat Feasts by Si King and Dave Myers is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson,£22. Offer price £17.60 until 13 September. Order at mailbookshop.co.uk, p&p free on orders over £12. The Hairy Bikers’ Northern Exposure TV series is on Tuesdays at 8pm on BBC2.

 

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