Hunters stew from Warsaw, also known as bigos warszawski, is a traditional Polish dish with a rich history and unique flavor. This hearty stew is a staple of Polish cuisine and is often served during special occasions like Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve. Bigos warszawski is a versatile dish that can be made with different variations, but all feature a combination of meat, sauerkraut, and fresh cabbage. The stew is typically simmered for several hours to allow the flavors to meld and create a rich, complex taste. In this article, we'll explore the history, variations, and step-by-step instructions for making this delectable Polish stew.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
BIGOS (POLISH HUNTER'S STEW)
Bigos is almost a Polish national dish. This is a traditional recipe from Poland. Bigos is a rich flavorful stew with sauerkraut, Polish sausage, beef, pork, red wine, caraway seeds and more. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.
Provided by Olenka
Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Stews Beef
Time 2h50m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Place sauerkraut in a large pan or casserole dish and pour in 4 cups of boiling water. Add prunes, allspice, and bay leaves. Simmer until Sauerkraut is soft, about 50 minutes.
- Pour about 1 cup of boiling water over mushrooms and soak to rehydrate, about 30 minutes. Drain and chop mushrooms, reserving the liquid.
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium to high heat. Add onion and sausage. Saute while stirring until onion is soft and sausage is browned, about 5 minutes.
- In a separate pan, bring about 4 cups of water to a boil. Add beef, pork, and bacon. Simmer until cooked through for 20 minutes, then drain.
- When sauerkraut is soft, add the drained meat mixture, sausage-onion mixture, and soaked mushrooms; mix well. Simmer uncovered over low heat, about 20 minutes.
- Pour in red wine and cook for 15 minutes until flavors are well blended. Season with caraway seeds, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Stir in tomato puree. If the stew is too dry, pour in some of the water reserved from soaking the mushrooms, and simmer so flavors combine, about 5 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 656.8 calories, Carbohydrate 54.2 g, Cholesterol 90 mg, Fat 34.8 g, Fiber 12.4 g, Protein 32.9 g, SaturatedFat 10.6 g, Sodium 2486.1 mg, Sugar 18.3 g
BIGOS (HUNTER'S STEW)
A traditional Polish stew using pork, kielbasa, and sauerkraut. Great for a cold winters day. Well worth the time it takes to make it!
Provided by MJ46NY
Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Stews Pork
Time 3h45m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 25
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and kielbasa; cook and stir until the bacon has rendered its fat and sausage is lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat and transfer to a large casserole or Dutch oven.
- Coat the cubes of pork lightly with flour and fry them in the bacon drippings over medium-high heat until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to the casserole. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, fresh mushrooms, cabbage and sauerkraut. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until the carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Do not let the vegetables brown.
- Deglaze the pan by pouring in the red wine and stirring to loosen all of the bits of food and flour that are stuck to the bottom. Season with the bay leaf, basil, marjoram, paprika, salt, pepper, caraway seeds and cayenne pepper; cook for 1 minute.
- Mix in the dried mushrooms, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, tomato paste and tomatoes. Heat through just until boiling. Pour the vegetables and all of the liquid into the casserole dish with the meat. Cover with a lid.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until meat is very tender.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 356.3 calories, Carbohydrate 15.2 g, Cholesterol 62.3 mg, Fat 23.5 g, Fiber 3.9 g, Protein 19.8 g, SaturatedFat 7.9 g, Sodium 977.8 mg, Sugar 6.5 g
CHEF JOHN'S BIGOS (POLISH HUNTER'S STEW)
This meaty stew is usually made with wild game such as venison or boar, but you can use beef, pork, or other meat--just use a lot. It's perfect for feeding a crowd, especially when the weather turns cold and dreary.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Stews Beef
Time 11h
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Place mushrooms in warm water to soak and soften, 10 or 15 minutes. Drain and chop.
- Heat butter in a heavy pot or Dutch oven; add sauerkraut and sliced cabbage. Cook over medium-low, stirring occasionally. Brown the meat and add it to pot while sauerkraut is cooking per directions below.
- Heat skillet over medium-high heat; add bacon and cook until browned but not crisp. Transfer bacon to pot with cabbage, leaving bacon grease in skillet.
- Brown pork shoulder pieces in bacon grease over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with salt. Cook and stir until browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer pork to pot. Add beef chunks to skillet; sprinkle with salt. Cook and stir until browned, about 4 or 5 minutes. Add sausage slices to skillet and cook and stir until browned. Transfer slices to pot.
- Reduce heat under skillet to medium. Add chopped onion and a sprinkle of salt; cook and stir until onion turns translucent and starts to take on some color. Stir in chopped mushrooms and diced prunes. Cook and stir about 2 minutes. Pour in dry red wine; raise heat to medium-high. Simmer until wine is reduced to where very little liquid remains. Transfer onion mixture to pot with cabbage and meat. Add paprika, caraway seeds, thyme, allspice, bay leaf, pepper, and salt. Stir to evenly distribute all ingredients.
- Cover tightly; simmer over medium-low heat until meat is tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Allow stew to cool slightly; refrigerate overnight to let flavors blend.
- Place pot over low to medium-low heat and add a splash of water. Bring stew to low simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook until hot, 10 to 15 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 639.8 calories, Carbohydrate 19 g, Cholesterol 135 mg, Fat 44.9 g, Fiber 6 g, Protein 32.2 g, SaturatedFat 20 g, Sodium 1173.8 mg, Sugar 9.2 g
HUNTERS' STEW FROM WARSAW (BIGOS WARSZAWSKI)
The intermarriage of French and Polish nobility was greatly responsible for adding a distinctive French flair to traditional Polish cooking. This recipe is considered "high Polish Cuisine" as compared to - Bigos, Hunters' Stew - the peasant version. Both have been posted by request. *Bigos is made with a only a small amount of added liquid.
Provided by Lorac
Categories Stew
Time 2h30m
Yield 5 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Brown pork in the hot bacon drippings.
- Place in a kettle and add sauerkraut, sausage, water and boullion cube.
- Cover and simmer until the pork is tender (1 to 1 1/2 hours).
- In the meantime, add the cabbage to a pot of boiling water, reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes and drain.
- Saute the bacon and onion until golden, add the flour mixed with water and stir until smooth.
- Stir into the pork- sauerkraut mixture and add the tomato paste, cabbage, mushrooms, salt and pepper.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, add wine and serve with steamed potatoes or crusty rye bread.
POLISH BIGOS / HUNTER'S STEW
Hearty Heart warming comfort food. Serve with good rye bread. The secret of Bigos is that it gets better as it's reheated. The more it heated the better it gets. I like cooking it most the day.This is a great make ahead meal. I posted this recipe using all pork but go ahead and add venison, veal, beef.... I also do add juniper which I love! Then throw in fresh Parsley and marjoram.
Provided by Rita1652
Categories Stew
Time 3h20m
Yield 16 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Brown pork and spareribs in a large heavy pot.
- Add smoked butt with 1 cup of water and simmer for 1 hour.
- Add the sauerkraut and one cup apple juice.
- Chop the cabbage fine and add to sauerkraut.
- Add lots of pepper and salt cover and simmer 1 hour.
- Remove lid and keep pot on a very low simmer.
- In a pan, fry bacon until crisp, then crumble into sauerkraut mixture.
- Remove most of the bacon fat and fry onions and mushrooms and flour until they just brown.
- Mix into sauerkraut mixture.
- Cut kielbasa into slices add to sauerkraut mixture with the tomatoes.
- Bring to a boil, simmer 30 minutes and serve hot with rye bread and mashed potatoes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 352.4, Fat 21.3, SaturatedFat 7.3, Cholesterol 80.8, Sodium 1218.9, Carbohydrate 18.5, Fiber 7.2, Sugar 9.3, Protein 23.5
Tips:
- Use a variety of meats for a richer flavor. Good choices include pork shoulder, beef chuck roast, and kielbasa.
- Don't be afraid to use a lot of cabbage. It adds a nice crunch and sweetness to the stew.
- Sauté the vegetables before adding them to the pot. This will help them to caramelize and develop their flavor.
- Use a good quality red wine. It will add depth and complexity to the stew.
- Let the stew simmer for at least 2 hours, or longer if you have time. This will allow the flavors to meld and develop.
- Serve the stew with mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or crusty bread.
Conclusion:
Bigos Warszawski is a hearty and flavorful stew that is perfect for a cold winter day. It is also a great way to use up leftover meats and vegetables. If you are looking for a delicious and satisfying meal, give this recipe a try.
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