Sauerkraut is having a comeback! How can chefs use it?
Salt, pressure and time - the production of sauerkraut is an easy and relatively quick process, which is the responsibility of lactic acid bacteria. This leaves the chefs to be creative in preparing a traditional food that also offers health benefits.
The somewhat neglected sauerkraut is also making a comeback on restaurant menus thanks to the growing interest in fermentation, zero waste and regional specialities. Its success is also due to the ever-expanding awareness that the intestinal microflora significantly affects physical and mental health. What sauerkraut recipes are now being dusted off or invented in Czech kitchens?
Lactic fermentation
Salt and pressure destroy the cell walls of the cabbage so that water and air are released and the fermentation process can begin. The lactic acid bacteria then multiply, consume the excess oxygen in the closed container and produce lactic acid, which makes the cabbage more digestible, develops its specific taste and aroma and kills off unwanted germs. In industrial production, cabbage is often heated to extend shelf life - but pasteurisation kills many beneficial bacteria, as does heat treatment in the kitchen.
More than a side dish
Sauerkraut people have always enjoyed it just as it is, but they also boil and sauté it in onions and garlic. It is part of a variety of meatless casseroles and soups, and serves as a great accompaniment to roasted and stewed meats, sausages, slaughterhouse specialities or even smoked ham.
The customs of our ancestors are still reflected in the Czech diet today, and so fermented cabbage is often served with fried, fatty and crunchy dishes such as potato pancakes or tempura - for flavour and better digestion. It is commonly baked with potatoes, sausage and mushrooms and added to pasta (for example lasagne), stirred into mashed potatoes with fried onions or in potato dough, and wrapped in slices of pork or beef, known as záhorácké rolls.
The tradition is being innovated by cooks who let it sour larger pieces, even whole cabbage leaves. These are then lightly grilled and filled with various mixtures. The thicker fermented cabbage strips also create an interesting texture and effect in the dish.
Tip: Those looking for an alternative can ferment a mixture of onion, fennel, chicory and green apple instead of cabbage. For example, ferment the classics for you at Eska in Karlin.
When it comes to pairing flavours, sauerkraut can be with beans, beer, cumin and mustard, with bacon, pork and duck or goose, but also with onions, garlic, bay leaves and black pepper, with carrots and apples, with olive oil, cider and (flavoured) vinegar.
Fermented cabbage deliciously complements salads. It can be mixed with grated apple and good quality (cold-pressed) oil or with finely chopped onions, carrots and fresh cabbage, which is seasoned with a dressing of white wine vinegar, olive oil, honey and celery seeds. At Café Savoy, it is paired with roasted cumin, roasted beetroot, fresh cow's cheese and preserved gooseberries.
For its unique aroma, fresh acidity and crunchy texture, the sauerkraut is put into grilled cheese sandwiches in which it rivals the popular Korean kimchi. Fermented cabbage is equally at home in a Japanese omelette, okonomiyaki. This is otherwise served with raw cabbage and is recommended to be served with pickled vegetables, interesting mayonnaise and bacon.
Some chefs make sauerkraut dehydrate it. and sprinkled on dishes as a flavourful and crunchy detail. Other times, dried sauerkraut is pulverised and used to flavour, for example, potato chips.
A local superfood
Sauerkraut offers more than just a gastronomic experience! It supplies the body with fibre, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins A, B, C, E or K2, lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels, regenerates the intestinal microflora and, thanks to its probiotic content, promotes intestinal function and thus good mood! According to a study from King's College London, sauerkraut has aphrodisiac effects, as it contains the neurotransmitter tyramine.
Do not spill the juice!
Sauerkraut juice can be poured into a glass or used in a variety of recipes. It is used to acidify dressings and cold and hot sauces such as mayonnaise or butter beurre blanc, in which it is an excellent substitute for white wine or vinegar, but it is also used in stews. Cabbage water can also be used for marinating for tougher cuts of meat and to enhance the flavour and vitamins in the broth. It can even be used to make ice cream or sorbet and to mix a (bourbon) cocktail.
Cabbage juice can also be used in pickling brine or as a starter for fermenting the next batch of sauerkraut or other ingredients. In addition, it can be used to quickly marinate thinly sliced vegetables, which will refresh many dishes.
Tip: Make a simple vinaigrette with cabbage juice and good quality oil in a 1:1 ratio. You will only need honey, salt and pepper for flavouring.
For a more complex dressing, use a blender-type mixer with 1 cup sauerkraut, 3 tablespoons cabbage juice, ⅓ cup chopped herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon), ¼ cup toasted walnuts and 2 cloves garlic. Blend the ingredients at medium speed and then slowly add ⅔ cup olive oil and 3 tablespoons mayonnaise until the mixture forms a compact emulsion.
Source: Ambiente chefs, Zkvašeno.cz, Contemporary Foodlab, On Food and Cooking, The Flavor Bible, Olaf Schnelle - Schnelles Grünzeug
Extra trivia:
Before fermenting, it is important to remove the outer leaves from the fresh (!) cabbage head and to prepare the fermentation vessel. In the past, it was common to use a wine barrel that had been washed, evaporated and dried. To get rid of the cabbage aftertaste, the older barrel was evaporated with water and celery leaves and the bottom was lined with cabbage leaves.
Almost any cabbage can be fermented, but there are also varieties bred specifically for fermentation in the fields. An example is the Filderkraut, a pointed cabbage that is easy to curl and ferment to a fine texture.
The shredded cabbage can be seasoned with salt alone, but also but can also be pickled with other spices or vegetables such as caraway seeds, bay leaves, mustard seeds, elderflowers, juniper or cardamom. In the past, cabbage has also been accompanied by apples, carrot rounds and edible currants, grapes or dill seeds.
Similarly, cabbage can also be fermented with turnips, Brussels sprouts, or beetroot.
In older cookbooks you will find regional dishes such as roprachtice red cabbage. This was fermented with salt, onion, sugar, cumin and apple and eaten boiled, stewed in lard or raw, with onions and sour cream.
Sauerkraut has relatives all over the world. In Japan, you can taste tsukemono (nukazuke) - whole radishes, cabbage, aubergines and cucumbers marinated in salt (5-8 %) for several hours, and Japanese fermented umeboshi plums are also well known.
In Pakistan and northern India, kanji - a probiotic fermented drink made from black carrots, beetroot, salt (3-4 %), mustard seeds and pepper or chilli - is popular. In Nepal, gundruk, a fermented leafy vegetable, is considered the national dish, and sinki, fermented radish roots, comes from India.
The term "pickles" is used for vegetables pickled in salt, but also for any fermented vegetable, as well as for vegetables pickled in liquor or in an acidic environment such as vinegar.
