Ah, bigos! Den mest polska av polska kulinariska uppfinningar, doftande av rök, skog och gammaldags polskt tålamod. …
Ah, bigos! The most Polish of Polish culinary inventions, redolent of smoke, forest, and old-fashioned Polish patience. Let's take a kilogram of good sauerkraut—sour, yet refined—and half a kilogram of fresh cabbage, for balance and tenderness. Add 400 grams of pork, preferably shoulder, 300 grams of good sausage, 150 grams of smoked bacon. A handful of dried mushrooms, a few prunes, an onion, two cloves of garlic, a bay leaf, allspice, marjoram, and a dash of tomato paste. First, soak the mushrooms in warm water. In a heavy pot, render the bacon, add the chopped onion and garlic. When translucent, add the diced pork and sausage. Fry gently until the meat is golden brown. Lightly squeeze and chop the sauerkraut, and finely shred the fresh cabbage. Add both to the pot along with the mushrooms, plums, and spices. Pour in some of the mushroom soaking water and simmer over low heat for at least an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. At the end, add a tablespoon of the concentrate. Bigos doesn't like to be rushed. It's best served the next day, when all the flavors have had time to blend.