sauerkraut

WHAT IS SAUERKRAUT?

Sauerkraut, which translates to ‘sour cabbage’ is a fermented cabbage side dish. It’s tart flavour pairs perfectly with a variety of meats such as beef and game birds. It is fairly simple to make, with two basic ingredients (see the recipe below).

Basic Sauerkraut

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus 10-14 days fermentation time)

Makes: 800g

Equipment needed

1 x 1L Kilner jar or similar

Small jam jar to act as a weight inside the lid of the

1L jar

800g cabbage

3 level tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 Wash the cabbage well. Remove any damaged outside leaves. Quarter the cabbage, core it and then finely shred each quarter.

2 Mix the cabbage and salt together in a large bowl. Using your hands, scrunch the cabbage with the salt until you begin to feel the juices being released. Continue for a few minutes.

3 Pack a little at a time into the Kilner jar and press down hard using your fist (this packs the kraut tight and helps force more water out of the leaves). Fill the jar approx. 80% full to leave room for liquid that will come out of the cabbage as it starts to ferment. 4 Place a clean weight on top of the cabbage (a small jar or container filled with water works well). This weight is to keep the vegetables submerged under the brine. 5 Sit the jar on a plate just in case some brine escapes while it is fermenting. Place on a counter top and allow to ferment for at least 5 days. Ideally leave it for 10 days to 2 weeks. 6 As you consume the sauerkraut, make sure the remainder is well covered in brine by pushing the vegetables under the brine and sealing well. It will keep for months, the flavour develops and matures over time. Once you have opened it, it’s best to keep it in the fridge where it will last for months.

Reuben Foccacia

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus proofing time)

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4-6

For the focaccia dough

680ml lukewarm SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

½ tsp active dry yeast

3 tsp SpinneysFOOD Organic Natural Honey

600g OO flour

200g rye flour

20g SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

120ml SpinneysFOOD Mediterrnean Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling

For the mustard mayonnaise

20g yellow mustard

10g Dijon mustard

60g mayonnaise

To serve

500g pastrami

12 slices Emmental cheese

80g sauerkraut

1 In a medium bowl, stir together 600ml of water, yeast and honey. 2 In a very large bowl, whisk together the flours and 1 tablespoon of salt then add the yeast mixture and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir until just combined then cover. Allow to proof overnight until doubled in volume.

3 Spread 2 tablespoons of olive oil onto a 40cm x 30cm rimmed baking sheet. 4 Fold the dough onto itself once and then place it in the baking sheet. Drizzle the remaining olive oil onto the dough then spread and stretch the dough to fit the baking sheet. Create dimples in the dough using your fingers. 5 Mix the remaining salt and water together until the salt dissolves, then pour over the dough to fill the dimples. Leave in a warm place to proof until bubbly (approx. 1-2 hours). 6 Preheat the oven to 240°C, gas mark 8. 7 Place the baking sheet in the oven for 30 minutes, or until golden. Brush the focaccia with olive oil when it comes out the oven. Allow to cool on a rack. 8 To make the mustard mayonnaise, combine the ingredients in a bowl. 9 When ready to serve, drizzle the mayonnaise over the focaccia, top with the pastrami, cheese and sauerkraut.