‘Choucroute’ of Fish

By Mark Bittman

‘Choucroute’ of Fish
Sam Kaplan for The New York Times. Food stylist: Suzanne Lenzer. Prop stylist: Deborah Williams.
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(80)
Comments
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This is a riff on a classic choucroute garni — usually a mess of smoked and fresh meats with sauerkraut — made primarily with fish, but with the addition of ham or bacon. Smoked fish is key here; salmon adds beautiful richness and color, and any white fillet completes the picture. Serve this dish with buttered rye croutons instead of the traditional boiled potatoes for more flavor and crunch.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 8tablespoons (1 stick) butter
  • 2cups rye-bread cubes
  • 1pound sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
  • 4ounces chopped smoked ham or slab bacon
  • 1teaspoon juniper berries, crushed
  • 1teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1teaspoon fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried
  • 3bay leaves
  • 1cup white wine, not necessarily bone-dry
  • ½ to ¾pound white-fleshed fillet, like halibut
  • ½ to ¾pound smoked trout or haddock
  • ½ to ¾pound skinned salmon
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1shallot, minced
  • ½cup cream
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

813 calories; 49 grams fat; 25 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 52 grams protein; 1784 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 300. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Put the rye-bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet, and toss with the melted butter. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, put the sauerkraut, ham, juniper, caraway, thyme, bay leaves and all but 2 tablespoons of the wine in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the mixture bubbles, lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes. Lay the fish on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover the pot. The fish will be tender in about 10 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    As the fish cooks, put the shallot and the remaining 2 tablespoons wine in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low, and stir in the cream. Add the remaining butter, a little bit at a time, stirring constantly. Once the mixture is creamy, stir in the lemon juice and some salt and pepper; keep the mixture warm over the lowest possible heat.

  4. Step 4

    When the fish is tender, spoon it and the sauerkraut onto a platter; pour the sauce over all, scatter the croutons on top and around, garnish with the parsley and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
80 user ratings
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Comments

Phyllis Cohen

I cooked the canned sauerkraut with apples, white wine and onions beforehand. Recipe from Epicurious. It made an amazing difference! And double the sauerkraut, at least.

cynthia

Delicious recipe. Fairly easy to make in 1 hour. Toast the croutons in a pan to avoid using the oven. Also, you can crisp up the fish in the same pan which you used for the croutons. If you do this, then it's easier to serve as the sauerkraut should go on the bottom of the plate with the fish on top. Only the dutch oven and sauté pan to wash out.

cyrh

Really different, tasty. I was surprised that my husband liked it as much as I did. For leftovers, we toasted a piece of (pumpernickel) bread per person, spooned the mix onto it, and preferred that to the bread cubes, which is fussy. Also didn't need the extra butter used on the cubes. Cream made it a bit heavy for my belly, so I'll use nondairy milk next time. Vegan butter worked fine in the sauce (dairy doesn't digest well here), and I used less than indicated. It made at least 6 portions.

Greta

I have made this recipe a couple of times, each time adapting it a bit for my guests. For my Alsatian in-laws I seasoned with goose fat, an onion with five whole cloves, and added smoked pork (all traditional in Alsace) in addition to smoked and fresh salmon and served with potatoes both times instead of croutons. Delicious both times and great reviews. I agree that salting more is not really necessary, except a little on top of the fish as it cooks.

Dan

The bacon and the smoked fish are both very salty. This recipe advises adding salt TWICE. I would not, or I would salt very lightly. We also had rice with it instead of croutons because that's what we had. It was still a great dish.

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