sauerkraut ( zuurkool

sauerkraut / zuurkool
Originally uploaded by kattebelletje.

This is typical Dutch winter food: mashed potatoes with some kind of boiled and mashed vegetable and a large smoky sausage besides. Take a packet of sauerkraut (in white wine, or just plain) and put it in a small pan with a couple of tablespoons of wine or apple juice (or plain water), cook until done - this takes around 30 minutes. Meanwhile, peel about 3 large potatoes a person. You need more potatoes because, when mashed, they will somehow look less : you always end up eating more than you think you will. Cook potatoes, cut in chunks, in boiling water for around 15 minutes until you can easily pierce through them when pricking them with a fork. Drain off cooking liquid and put the pan back on a slow heat. Add a large chunk of butter and hot milk and mash them with a potato masher (or ricer). Add salt and pepper and grated nutmeg. When sauerkraut is cooked, add it to the mashed potatoes and mix it all together. In a skillet, fry some bacon strips until crispy and prepare your sausage. Usually this is a microwave affair, but you can choose other meats... Also, prepare some meat gravy. Stir it all over the sauerkraut-and-potato mash and enjoy your meal!