Bigos I

Bigos is considered by many to be the national dish of Poland, and as such has many variations around the country and family to family. Some recipes use sauerkraut or pickled cabbage, we’ve used fresh cabbage for extra colour. It’s important not to stir the stew too much as it simmers or you will break up the potatoes and apples. Serve it in bowls with rye bread to mop up the juices.

Ingredients
Prep: 15mins Cook: 50mins Serves 4-6

75g/3oz smoked bacon lardons, 500g/1lb cubed pork, 1 onion, sliced, 3 cloves garlic, sliced, 200g/7oz polish sausage such as wiejska, skinned and sliced, 1 can chopped tomatoes, 450ml/3/4pt chicken stock, 150ml/1/4pt red wine, 2 bay leaves, 2 tsp caraway seeds, 500g/1lb potatoes, peeled and cubed, 500g/1lb Bramley apples, quartered, cored and sliced in half, 175g/6oz cabbage, cored and sliced, salt and ground black pepper, rye bread and sour cream to serve

Preparation
1 Heat a large saucepan, add the bacon and sauté for 4mins until the bacon is crisp and the fat has run. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the pork, onion, garlic and sausage to the bacon fat in the pan and sauté for 5 mins.

2 Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Season well with plenty of ground black pepper and just a little salt (the bacon and sausage add their own salt). Cover and simmer for 50mins or until the potatoes are tender. Serve ladled into bowls with rye bread.