Kysané zelí

Ingredients

Sauerkraut

• 2 kgwhite cabbage, shredded fine
• 40 gcoarse non-iodised salt — 2% of the cabbage weight
• 1 tbspcaraway seed

To stew

• 600 gof the finished sauerkraut, drained
• 80 gsmoked bacon or lard, diced
• 1onion, chopped fine
• 1 tbspplain flour
• 1 tspcaraway seed
• 1 tspsugar
• 150 mlwater or stock
• salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Shred the cabbage as finely as you can and weigh it. Take 2% of that weight in salt — for 2 kg of cabbage that is 40 g — and toss the two together with the caraway.
2. Leave for 30 minutes, then work the cabbage hard with your hands for ten minutes, squeezing by the handful until it has wilted and is sitting in a pool of its own liquid. This is the only real labour and it is what makes the brine.
3. Pack it into a crock or a large jar, pressing each handful down firmly so the liquid rises above the cabbage. Weight it down so nothing floats.
4. Cover loosely and ferment at cool room temperature, around 18°C (64°F), for three to four weeks. Skim any white film off the surface as it appears.
5. When it is properly sour, move it somewhere cold. It keeps for months.
6. To make the dish: render the bacon in a pan, add the onion and cook until golden, then stir in the flour and cook a minute to make a light roux.
7. Add the drained sauerkraut, caraway, sugar and water, and stew gently for 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick and glossy. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Serve beside roast pork and bread dumplings as vepřo knedlo zelo.

Technique

• Two percent by weight, measured. Salt by the handful gives a batch that is either too salty to ferment or too weak to protect itself.
• Squeeze it properly. If there is not enough liquid to cover after an hour of pressing, the cabbage was not worked hard enough.
• The sugar in the stewing is not optional in Czech practice. Kysané zelí is sweet-sour, not simply sour.

Substitutions

• Bought sauerkraut, drained and rinsed, if you want the dish without the four-week wait.
• Onion and oil in place of bacon for a meatless version.

Variations

• The Moravian version is sweeter and often includes grated apple.
• Some households add a splash of the cabbage brine at the end for extra sharpness.

History

The third element of vepřo knedlo zelo, fermented in barrels in Czech households each autumn.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kysané zelí?

Kysané zelí is a fermented & pickled from Czechia: sour cabbage stewed with caraway, served beside pork and dumplings. The third element of vepřo knedlo zelo, fermented in barrels in Czech households each autumn.

How long does Kysané zelí take to make?

Kysané zelí takes 30 min plus 4 weeks fermenting for the cabbage of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6 as a side. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Kysané zelí?

Yes, within limits. Bought sauerkraut, drained and rinsed, if you want the dish without the four-week wait. Onion and oil in place of bacon for a meatless version.

What is the most important thing to get right in Kysané zelí?

Leave for 30 minutes, then work the cabbage hard with your hands for ten minutes, squeezing by the handful until it has wilted and is sitting in a pool of its own liquid. This is the only real labour and it is what makes the brine.