A mandoline is a life-changing utensil that can also slice off your fingers if you don't use it carefully.
A rectangular device made from wood, metal or plastic and embedded with a razor-sharp blade, it allows you to slice vegetables, fruits and other foods to a paper-thin delicacy and perfect uniformity that is unachievable with a knife. Mandolines have straight or grooved fittings that allow you to julienne carrots or make perfectly crinkle-cut potatoes.
The mandoline is used by sliding the vegetable back and forth across the blade, which is held at a slant. Professional mandolines have a folding mechanism and are expensive; the home cook may opt for a cheap plastic Japanese mandoline that does the job well and comes with a hand guard that is highly recommended. You can also use a protective metal glove.
What kind of cabbage can I use to make sauerkraut?
What kind of cabbage can I use to make sauerkraut?
You can use any kind of cabbage to make sauerkraut: green, red, savoy, Napa or any other variety and in any combination.
Since different varieties of cabbage have different colors, flavors and textures, the resulting sauerkraut will reflect that. For example, Savoy cabbage is firm, so a sauerkraut made with it will hold together more than a sauerkraut made with Napa cabbage, which is softer. A combination of red and green cabbage will lend your sauerkraut a pink hue.
If you like, you can even toss in vegetables like carrots and Brussels sprouts, and aromatics like onions and garlic for different flavor combinations. The possiblities are endless.
what you should know
Pale, homely and modestly dressed, sauerkraut may not be the most fetching vegetable dish in the world.
But underappreciated fermented cabbage is more than just a doormat for hot dogs or a classic reuben on rye.
hello sailor A recession-friendly dish with a storied past, sauerkraut is said to have been invented to preserve cabbage throughout the winter months. And it once nourished scurvy-fearing European explorers on the high seas.
heading west Popular in Germany, France and all over northern and central Europe, sauerkraut means "sour cabbage" in German. But if we've been using the German name for pickled cabbage since the 1600s, the Chinese were apparently eating sauerkraut more than 2,000 years ago. And Genghis Khan is said to have brought sauerkraut to Europe in the 13th century.
cheap date During this long winter of our economic discontent, why not cozy up to sauerkraut? Tangy, salty and vitamin C-packed, sauerkraut costs little and is surprisingly adaptable in everything from one-dish meals to dessert.
what you need
You can buy prepared sauerkraut in cans, jars or plastic bags in the refrigerator section of the supermarket.Jarred sauerkraut can keep for several years, while bagged sauerkraut should be eaten within a few weeks.
To make homemade sauerkraut, all you need is cabbage, salt, a few weeks and one of these handy crocks (or a heavy-duty, non-reactive stockpot).
A set of silicone tongs will help to preserve the flavor of your homemade sauerkraut.
Homemade sauerkraut kept air-tight and under 60F will keep for months, though it tastes best fresh.
You can make sauerkraut from finely slicing any kind of cabbage -- green red, Napa or savoy. A mandoline makes this an easy task.
Using a green-and-red cabbage combo will lend your sauerkraut a pinkish hue.
When choosing cabbage, look for firm leaves with well-defined veins. Cabbages should feel heavy for their size.
Until you're ready to use it, refrigerate cabbage covered tightly in plastic wrap.
what you do
Germans and Alsatians like to flavor sauerkraut with juniper berries, white wine or kirsch and use it as a foil for pork in a one-dish choucroute garnie. And the French specialty choucroute de la mer swaps seafood for pork in a surprising and delicate twist on the classic.
Don't have time to make an elaborate choucroute?Try this time-saving microwaved version. Or whip up a quicky, hearty dish of sauerkraut with beer-braised sausages.
Sauerkraut also works well as a side dish -- flavored with bacon and simmered in Champagne or mixed into a creamy dilled potato salad flecked with lemon zest. A warm sauerkraut and red pepper slaw is spicy, tangy and sweet.
Mixed with browned onions and mushrooms, sauerkraut makes a warm bed for a Polish-inspired dish of comforting winter pierogi. Northern Italians like to add sauerkraut to bean soup.
Featured recipe: Nobody will ever guess that fermented cabbage is the secret ingredient that adds body and moisture to this all-American rich chocolate cake.
