Hunters Stew Polish Recipes

BIGOS (POLISH HUNTER'S STEW)

Steps:

• Place sauerkraut in a large pan or casserole dish and pour in 4 cups of boiling water. Add prunes, allspice, and bay leaves. Simmer until Sauerkraut is soft, about 50 minutes.
• Pour about 1 cup of boiling water over mushrooms and soak to rehydrate, about 30 minutes. Drain and chop mushrooms, reserving the liquid.
• Heat oil in a frying pan over medium to high heat. Add onion and sausage. Saute while stirring until onion is soft and sausage is browned, about 5 minutes.
• In a separate pan, bring about 4 cups of water to a boil. Add beef, pork, and bacon. Simmer until cooked through for 20 minutes, then drain.
• When sauerkraut is soft, add the drained meat mixture, sausage-onion mixture, and soaked mushrooms; mix well. Simmer uncovered over low heat, about 20 minutes.
• Pour in red wine and cook for 15 minutes until flavors are well blended. Season with caraway seeds, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Stir in tomato puree. If the stew is too dry, pour in some of the water reserved from soaking the mushrooms, and simmer so flavors combine, about 5 minutes.

HEARTY HUNTER'S STEW

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, brown meat in oil over medium heat. Add 4 cups water and scrape to loosen any browned drippings from pan. Add the tomato juice, onions, celery, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. , Discard bay leaves; add the carrots, rutabaga and potatoes. Cover and cook for 40-60 minutes. , Stir in the peas; cook for 10 minutes. Combine cornstarch and remaining water until smooth; stir into stew. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

BIGOS (HUNTER'S STEW)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and kielbasa; cook and stir until the bacon has rendered its fat and sausage is lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat and transfer to a large casserole or Dutch oven.
• Coat the cubes of pork lightly with flour and fry them in the bacon drippings over medium-high heat until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to the casserole. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, fresh mushrooms, cabbage and sauerkraut. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until the carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Do not let the vegetables brown.
• Deglaze the pan by pouring in the red wine and stirring to loosen all of the bits of food and flour that are stuck to the bottom. Season with the bay leaf, basil, marjoram, paprika, salt, pepper, caraway seeds and cayenne pepper; cook for 1 minute.
• Mix in the dried mushrooms, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, tomato paste and tomatoes. Heat through just until boiling. Pour the vegetables and all of the liquid into the casserole dish with the meat. Cover with a lid.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until meat is very tender.

HUNTERS STEW (POLISH)

Steps:

• 1. Rehydrate shrooms in a cup of hot water. Cook up your bacon in a large cooking pot/dutch oven and set aside. Now brown the pork in the bacon grease; season with salt and pepper and then set aside. Next brown up the kielbasa and set aside.
• 2. Add caraway, allspice, onions & bay leaves to pot and saute till onions are soft. Scrap the brown bits loose and add your tomato paste. Cook till caramelized. Now add kraut, cooking and stirring till wilted. Return meats to pot, add shrooms and the water they soaked in. (Make sure you strain the liquid of the shrooms.)
• 3. Add chopped prunes, stock and wine then bring to boil. Season with s/p and reduce heat to medium/low. Cook covered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped apples and cook for about another 30 minutes till pork is nice and tender. (This is the Madiera wine that we used.)
• 4. This is the seasoning spice called Vegeta.
• 5. Getting my bowl of Hunters Stew from Chef Tad.
• 6. My bowl of Hunters Stew with a slice of amazing dilly rye bread. Yes, there are pickles in it and I was in heaven. LOL
• 7. Our wonderful instructor Chef Tad.

POLISH HUNTER'S STEW

Steps:

• Cook the bacon until well browned and crisp.
• Remove bacon and reserve.
• Add onion to bacon drippings and saute until golden.
• Add mushrooms and saute briefly.
• Add flour, mix, then add wine and deglaze pan.
• Combine all ingredients including the drained sauerkraut and bacon in a braising pan and add enough rather thin brown veal or chicken stock to almost cover.
• Place in a 350 degree oven with cover until meats are tender.
• Serve with a dolop of sour cream.
• NOTE: This dish has traditionally been used as way to use leftover roasts at the end of a holiday period and the above meats are only a suggestion.
• Literally any meats, fowl or game may be used and the dish is better when reheated.
• Turkey leftover from Thanksgiving would be a good use of this recipe.
• Additional cabbage may be added besides the sauerkraut if desired.

BIGOS (HUNTERS STEW)

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pan and fry the onions until golden
• Rinse the sauerkraut in cold water and drain well, and mix with the onions. Add the tomatoes
• Shred the cabbage finely and mix in, add the stock stirring well
• In another pan brown the ribs or cubed pork belly then add to the cabbage mix, thickly slice the smoked sausage (kielbasa) then brown in the same pan as u did the ribs or pork belly, add to the cabbage mix
• Allow to simmer on a low heat for one hour, season to taste. Remove from heat and leave covered for 24 hours. Refridgerate and reheat before serving.

CLASSIC BIGOS (POLISH HUNTER STEW)

Steps:

• * Begin by preparing the sauerkraut. Always buy the kind that doesn't contain vinegar. First, place it in cold water for an hour to let the salt wash out. Then rinse it and squeeze out as much water as you can. * While the sauerkraut soaks, start on the mushrooms. Place each small packet of dried mushrooms in 2 cups of boiling water and set aside for 30 mins. Chop the resultant wet mushrooms into strips and reserve the rich, brown liquid (but not the sand at the bottom). * Also chop the prunes. * While you wait, chop the sausage into small, irregular pieces. Also chop the other meats into stew-sized chunks. * To cook the bigos, you'll need a large (6 liter+) enamelled, cast iron casserole. * Place some bacon and a touch of canola oil in the pot and fry it for a few minutes. * Sear the raw meats for a minute or so. * Next, toss in the chopped onions and fry until translucent. Do not caramelize. * Now add the sausage and the other meats. Fry for several minutes. * Once the meat is ready, add the black pepper. * You are now ready to add the squeezed-out sauerkraut. I toss mine in by the handful. The cooking pot should be 3/4 full once you're done. Stir well. * Add the mushrooms and the prunes, the coriander, and bay leaves. * Add a cup or more of the mushroom liquid and allow the stew to simmer. * Add any remaining spices, fresh mushrooms, and tomato paste. Stir often and well. * As the stew simmers, keep adding the mushroom-liquid (or salt-free stock if necessary). The bigos should always be moist (like a risotto) but should never be allowed to swim in water. Don't burn the bottom! * Bring to a slow boil and then simmer for several hours per day for the next two or three days. The sauerkraut will slowly lose its stringy consistency and dissolve. It should also turn a deep brown from the mushrooms. Constant attention is not required. * Serve the bigos with some 'pain de campagne' and perhaps a shot of good vodka or red wine. Bon appetit!