This dish is an American twist on the French classic "Choucroute Garnie."
The word Choucroute, pronounced 'Shoo-Kroot' is the French word for pickled cabbage, which is Sauerkraut. In the Choucroute Garnie dish, the pickled cabbage is served with assorted sausages and other meats along with potatoes. A peasant dish at heart.
In this dish, we add chicken thighs, bacon, and serve it with a warm, whole potato salad with a vinegar-based dressing that compliments the sauerkraut, chicken, and sausage quite well.
The word Choucroute, pronounced 'Shoo-Kroot' is the French word for pickled cabbage, which is Sauerkraut. In the Choucroute Garnie dish, the pickled cabbage is served with assorted sausages and other meats along with potatoes. A peasant dish at heart.
In this dish, we add chicken thighs, bacon, and serve it with a warm, whole potato salad with a vinegar-based dressing that compliments the sauerkraut, chicken, and sausage quite well.
Preheat oven to 400°F 🔥
Drizzle oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Season chicken generously with salt and arrange chicken, skin side down in a single layer in skillet. Cook chicken, undisturbed, until skin is golden brown around the edges, 12-15 minutes. Using a stiff spatula, lift up chicken, then set it back down, still skin side down. Once chicken pieces have all released from the skillet and slide around easily, continue to cook, shifting as needed so that all pieces cook evenly, until browned, about another 6-8 minutes. Transfer chicken pieces to a plate, turning skin side up. Pour off all but 1/4 cup of fat from skillet.
Add bacon to the same skillet and cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, transfer to a plate with paper towels to drain.
In the same skillet without draining the bacon fat, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add thyme sprigs and juniper berries, and cook, tossing until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add sauerkraut and wine, increase heat to medium/high, and cook, stirring occasionally to deglaze the skillet, until wine is almost completely evaporated, 6-8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
Place sausages in a 3-quart baking dish and pile the sauerkraut mixture over sausages (submerge sausages). Arrange chicken thighs and bacon on top of sauerkraut mixture. Pour in 3/4 cup of water and bake, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through and liquid is bubbling throughout, about 25-30 minutes.
Let cool slightly, and serve on a large platter with chicken thighs on the top and the potato salad to one side.
(See recipe for whole warm potato salad in side dishes section).
Servings 6
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
