Babcia’s Polish Bigos

Name: Babcia’s Polish Bigos
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 20 g dried porcini mushrooms; 5-8 stoned prunes; 475 g diced casserole beef; 2 large pork belly slices; 300 g polish sausage (ideally kielbasa), peeled (I didn’t do this which was a mistake); 2 onions, sliced; 3 tbsp olive oil; 450 g jar sauerkraut, rinsed; 4 tomatoes peeled and chopped; 4 cloves; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 bay leaf; 1 tsp dried dill; 1 pint beef stock; Salt and pepper

Sonia @sonia

Bristol, UK

My granny is Polish and we call her Babcia. This is Poland’s national dish and Babcia made it for us a lot when we were young. I always enjoyed eating it. Babcia now has dementia and it is too late for me to ask for her recipe, but I’ve tried to do it justice here and it does remind me of her version very much #myfavouriterecipe

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Ingredients

20 gdried porcini mushrooms
5-8stoned prunes
475 gdiced casserole beef
2large pork belly slices
300 gpolish sausage (ideally kielbasa), peeled (I didn’t do this which was a mistake)
2onions, sliced
3 tbspolive oil
450 gjar sauerkraut, rinsed
4tomatoes peeled and chopped
4cloves
1cinnamon stick
1bay leaf
1 tspdried dill
1 pintbeef stock
Salt and pepper

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Steps

1

Start by putting your dried mushrooms and prunes in a bowl and just covering with boiling water. Leave to soak for 30 mins.
2

Heat your large saucepan or flameproof casserole dish and fry off the meat in batches to brown all over. Remove each batch into a bowl when done.
3

Fry your onions in the saucepan over a low heat now and cook gently for 10 minutes.
4

Return your meat to the pan and add in also your sauerkraut, tomatoes, cloves, cinnamon, bay, dill and sliced sausage.
5

Drain your mushrooms and reserve the liquid in a jug. Add the mushrooms and prunes into your pot. Then make the reserved liquid up to a pint by topping it up with stock. Add that liquid into the pan too.
6

Season it all with pepper (you can add salt later after you’ve tasted it). Bring the pan to the boil then turn it down to simmer gently with the lid on for 2 hours.
7

Best left to sit overnight after it’s cooked and cooked to let the flavours develop.

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Sonia @sonia

on October 11, 2019 14:04

Bristol, UK

I'm a busy, working mum of two young children and I love to cook! I particularly love cooking with fresh, natural produce. My recipes are usually simple and healthy; using minimal ingredients and minimal time!You can also follow me on Instagram here - https://www.instagram.com/sonianicholas_cookpaduk/