YPSB (Yes-Please-Shiitake-Bigos)
“Narobic bigosu” is a Polish saying which literally means to make a lot of “bigos” or “to mess things up”. When I decided to leave my country over 10 years ago to live in Germany, maintaining national traditions was not of paramount importance. There is, however, time for everything. When a Polish girl has to eat her bigos, this “messed up” dish version comes to her rescue at such moments! And yes, it is absolutely delicious, meat-free, and have no fear hardcore conservatives, it is not a veggie-compromise! The dish is very easy to prepare, although it takes time and has a fair list of ingredients. YPSB tastes best reheated, even a few times, on day 2 or 3.
4
servings25
minutes1
hour5
minutes1
hour30
minutesIngredients
30 g 30 dried shiitake, soaked for at least an hour in water, drained and cut into thin strips
Oil for cooking
2 2 cm of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp 1 curry
1 tsp 1 cumin
2 2 red onions, chopped
3 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
50 g 50 dried tomatoes, cut into strips
1 1 apple, quartered and cut into thin slices
4 tbsp 4 soy sauce
500 g 500 sauerkraut
50 g 50 dried apricots (alternatively dried plums), cut into strips
30 g 30 cranberries
1/2 1/2 tsp turmeric
3 3 bay leaves
5 5 allspice seeds
3 cups 3 vegetable stock
Salt and black pepper
Chili flakes (optional)
Directions
- In a large pan with a thick bottom and a lid, heat up the oil. Be generous, because traditionally, bigos is prepared with a lot of meat, so our veggie version can use some extra fat. Cook the ginger together with the cumin and the curry. Add the onions and the garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes, while stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely soft.
- Stir in the shiitake, dried tomatoes and apples. Pour in the soy sauce.
- Place the sauerkraut in a colander and wash it with running water – you don’t want your bigos to be too sour! Squeeze out the water with your hands and chop the sauerkraut. Then stir it into the pan.
- Add the apricots, cranberries and the rest of the spices and fry everything for a couple of minutes, while stirring constantly. Pour in the vegetable stock and stir again until everything is well combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, put the lid on and cook the yes-please-shiitake-bigos for about an hour, after which the sauerkraut should be soft. Take off the lid and simmer for a minute or two to reduce the sauce if needed. Check on the seasoning. If it’s too sour, add some maple syrup or honey.
- Serve warm, sprinkled with chili flakes, if desired. Enjoy it with a slice of fresh bread with a thick layer of butter.
Equipment
- Large thick-bottomed pan with lid
- Colander
- Sharp knife
Notes
- YPSB tastes best reheated, even a few times, on day 2 or 3.
- Serve warm, sprinkled with chili flakes if desired. Enjoy it with a slice of fresh bread with a thick layer of butter.
- The shiitake need to soak for at least an hour beforehand.