Recipe(tried): Choucroute Garni

Cold weather in Sarasota is definitely a time for comfort food. This uses easy to find ingredients and is really good. Makes 4 large servings. I have even used a half cup or so of ham chunks and chicken broth instead of the hamhock stock and skipped the first step. If you can't find the juniper berries, just omit them.

We had boiled small red potatoes, Vienna rolls (from Publix)and fresh pineapple, tangelos, bananas and strawberries with Grand Marnier for a salad/dessert.

Choucroute Garni

1 lb smoked ham hocks
1 1/2 pounds kielbasa, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
2 fully cooked bratwurst (or your preferred combo of approx 2 lbs of the kielbasa and brats)
4 bacon strips, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion chopped
10 juniper berries
3/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
5 whole cloves
4 whole allspice
2 small bay leaves
2 small Red Delicious apples, unpeeled, cored, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 2-pound bag sauerkraut (I used Boarshead), squeezed dry
1 cup dry white wine (such as Reisling or pinot noir)

Assorted mustards and prepared horseradish

Place ham hocks in large saucepan. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is very tender, about 2 hours. Transfer hocks to medium bowl. remove fat from broth using a fat separator or by cooking hocks in advance and refrigerating liquid until fat congeals. Boil broth until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones and discard bones. Set aside hock meat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add bratwurst and bacon. Saut until bacon is crisp and bratwurst is brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside with hock meat.

Add onions, spices and bay leaves to same pot. Saut until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add apples; saut 2 minutes. Mix in sauerkraut and all the sausages bacon and hock meat. Press to submerge. Add reserved broth and wine. Boil 10 minutes. Cover choucroute and bake 1 1/2 hours.

Serve with mustards and horseradish.