Bigos – Polish Hunter’s Stew with Sauerkraut and Sausage

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 Bigos is Poland’s national dish: a slow-cooked “hunter’s stew” of sauerkraut and fresh cabbage with pork, smoked sausage, mushrooms and prunes. It is sour, smoky and deeply savoury – and it gets better every time you reheat it.

Polish families make a big pot for Christmas and Easter, and keep eating it for days.

How to Make Bigos

1. Brown the meat. Fry the bacon in a large heavy pot until it releases its fat. Add the pork and brown it, then add the onions and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the sausage. Add the sliced kielbasa and fry for 3–4 minutes until lightly browned.
3. Add the cabbage. Add the sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, chopped mushrooms with their soaking water, prunes, tomato paste, bay leaves, allspice and caraway. Stir well.
4. Simmer. Pour in the wine, cover and simmer on low heat for 1½–2 hours, stirring from time to time. Add a little water if it gets dry.
5. Season and rest. Season with salt and pepper. If you can, cool it and reheat the next day – the flavour improves a lot.
6. Serve. Serve hot with rye bread or boiled potatoes.

👉 More warming dishes: 25 Cozy Comfort Food Recipes

Footnotes:

Make ahead: bigos keeps 5 days in the fridge and freezes very well.

Tip: use a mix of meats – leftover roast, ham or beef all work.