Sauerkraut potato dish

• By Christa Follmann

You will need:

1.75kg of potatoes, 600g of sauerkraut, 500ml of water, five bay leaves, 10 juniper berries (optional – Good Earth stocks them), two medium-sized onions (finely chopped), 350g of smoked bacon in a single chunk (available at good butchers), 250ml of vegetable stock, salt and pepper, you can use one leek instead of the onions.

Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are soft. Simmer the sauerkraut in its own brine together with the bay leaves, juniper berries, smoked bacon and water for about 30 minutes until they are soft. Drain the Sauerkraut and take out the bay leaves, juniper berries and bacon. Cut the cooked bacon into small cubes and fry these together with finely chopped onions until they are brownish. Mash the potatoes in a large pot. Add the sauerkraut, onions and bacon together with the oil in which they were fried, and use a hand-held masher to mix them thoroughly. Gradually add the vegetable stock, season to taste with pepper and salt and mix it all thoroughly. Don’t use an electric mixer as this over-processes the food. Serve this with any kind of pork meat. Don’t worry about leftovers. This dish tastes even better when reheated and can be frozen for another meal.