Chicken And Sauerkraut Bake

I actually bought a magazine the other day, something I rarely do. And even rarer, it was Donna Hay.  Somehow she and I have never gelled.  So it was a moment of madness, but happily I found at least one recipe that called to me.  It reminded me of a recipe I had made up some time ago which had chicken, sauerkraut, pineapple, cream and potatoes.  I know, sounds a bit mad but I just grabbed all the leftovers in my fridge and put them together.  So I was a bit stunned when I came upon this similar recipe in the mag.  And let me tell you, it is pretty damn good.  I can see it becoming a regular in the Pickings' family recipes.

looks a bit odd but very delish   

Serves 4

ingredients:


1 tbs olive oil

1 kg. chicken pieces on the bone - Marylands if you can get them

salt and pepper

1 brown onion, finely sliced

300g. baby potatoes, halved

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

2 small sprigs of bay leaves - I used 12 leaves as I had them in the freezer already off the stalks

3 cups (540g.) sauerkraut

1 cup chicken stock

sour cream to serve



Method:


Put your oven on at 200C to heat up

Heat the oil in a large frypan - ovenproof if you have one

Sprinkle the seasoning on the chicken pieces

Fry them for about 10 minutes, turning once half way through

Remove the chicken pieces and set aside, or place them into a roasting dish with a lid if you don't have an ovenproof frypan

Add a dash more oil to your pan and throw in the onion, potato, caraway seeds and bay leaves and keep stirring for 6 minutes

Now add the sauerkraut and stock and stir in

At this point, you either return the chicken to the pan or tip your onion and potato mix into the roasting dish, along with the chicken

Now cover the pan or dish with a lid and whack into the oven

Give it 30 minutes, then take off the lid and cook for 20 more or till golden and cooked through

Add salt and pepper if you feel the need

Serve it up with sour cream - we had it with peas; you could have it with whatever veg you fancy including mashed potato if you feel the need for more carbs - and who doesn't on a cold night?

ingredients  

stir that chicken   

add the veggies to the pan   

get Mr P. to stir them   

spoon in the sauerkraut    

stir the veggie mix into the chicken pieces in the pan   

take the lid off after 30 minutes 

and eat after another 20 minutes lidless    

Now I remember why I bought that mag!  It had a free baked doughnut tray attached. And who can go past a great freebie like that?



Tips:

Donna says to use Marylands but as there is a dearth of butchers these days, it seems impossible to find this cut.  So I grabbed half a kilo of thighs with bones, and half a kilo without bones. (Mr P. doesn't like bones, foolish man!)  This worked really well, giving enough solid flavour and juicy bits for me.

Use whatever herbs you fancy.  It did go very well with caraway and bay leaves, but I reckon you could take your pick.  I actually had some bay leaves in the freezer so I was very happy to find a use for them as I almost never have them around the place.


I have been using Spanish/red onions for so long I had forgotten how absolutely fabulous brown onions are in soups and stews. Definitely use one in this!

my sauerkraut doodle