Ingredients
Sauerkraut
- 3 kgwhite cabbage, shredded fine
- 60 gcoarse non-iodised salt — 2% of the cabbage weight
- 1 tbspjuniper berries, lightly crushed
Stamppot
- 800 gof the finished zuurkool, drained
- 1 kgfloury potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 200 gsmoked bacon or spek, diced
- 1onion, chopped
- 100 mlwhole milk, warm
- 50 gbutter
- black pepper
To serve
- rookworst
- strong mustard
Directions
- Shred the cabbage finely, weigh it, and take exactly 2% of that weight in salt. Weighing rather than guessing is the difference between a crock that works and one that goes soft or stalls.
- Toss with the salt and juniper and leave 30 minutes, then work it hard by the handful for ten minutes until it collapses and sits in its own liquid.
- Pack into the crock, pressing each handful down so the brine rises above the cabbage, and weight it down so nothing floats.
- Cover loosely and ferment at cool room temperature, 16 to 20°C (61 to 68°F), for about four weeks, skimming any white film off the surface.
- When it is sour enough, move it somewhere cold. It keeps for months.
- To make the stamppot: boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Meanwhile fry the bacon until crisp and the onion until golden.
- Drain the potatoes and mash roughly with the milk and butter, then fold in the drained zuurkool, the bacon and its fat, and the onion.
- Do not cook the sauerkraut into the mash for long — folded in at the end it keeps its bite and its sourness, which is the whole point against the rich potato. Season with pepper and serve with rookworst and mustard.
Technique
- Two percent by weight, on a scale.
- Everything below the brine while it ferments.
- Fold the zuurkool in at the end rather than boiling it into the mash, or you lose the sourness that makes the dish work.
Substitutions
- Bought sauerkraut, drained, if you want the stamppot without the month’s wait.
- Apple or grated carrot in the crock, both common additions.
Variations
- The German Sauerkraut, Czech kysané zelí and Polish kapusta kiszona are the same preserve.
- Baked as a zuurkoolschotel with cheese on top.
History
Winter fermentation kept Dutch households in vegetables; zuurkoolstamppot remains a standard cold-weather dinner.
Frequently asked questions
What is Zuurkool?
Zuurkool is a fermented & pickled from Netherlands: salt-fermented white cabbage, mashed into stamppot with bacon. Winter fermentation kept Dutch households in vegetables; zuurkoolstamppot remains a standard cold-weather dinner.
How long does Zuurkool take to make?
Zuurkool takes 40 min plus 4 weeks fermenting of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes fills a 5-litre crock, then serves 6. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Zuurkool?
Yes, within limits. Bought sauerkraut, drained, if you want the stamppot without the month’s wait. Apple or grated carrot in the crock, both common additions.
What is the most important thing to get right in Zuurkool?
Shred the cabbage finely, weigh it, and take exactly 2% of that weight in salt. Weighing rather than guessing is the difference between a crock that works and one that goes soft or stalls.
