How to make traditional Polish Christmas Eve bigos without meat
Christmas Eve bigos is a meatless version of the traditional Polish dish, perfectly fitting into the festive traditions of a Polish Christmas Eve. How do you prepare Christmas Eve bigos with mushrooms? The recipe is quite straightforward.
This dish has a long tradition and differs from its classic counterpart primarily because it is made without meat. This makes it lighter while maintaining a richness of flavor due to the complementary ingredients.
Known in many homes as cabbage with mushrooms, this dish is one of the twelve traditional dishes that must appear on the Christmas Eve table. How can you prepare tasty Christmas Eve bigos with mushrooms? Let us explain.
What is Christmas Eve bigos made of?
The main ingredient of Christmas Eve bigos is sauerkraut, whose sour taste is essential to the dish. To prepare bigos, choosing high-quality cabbage that hasn't been acidified with vinegar is best.
The next crucial ingredient is dried mushrooms, which give the dish its forest aroma. Besides mushrooms, dried plums are often added to enhance the sweetness, along with onion and garlic. The ingredients are seasoned with bay leaves, allspice, pepper, and marjoram. Herbs like oregano, thyme, or basil can also be used.
How to prepare Christmas Eve bigos? Recipe
Begin preparing Christmas Eve bigos by thoroughly washing and soaking the dried mushrooms. Doing this the day before is best, allowing the mushrooms to absorb the water. Then, cut them into smaller pieces, keeping the soaking water as it will provide an excellent base for further cooking.
Rinse the sauerkraut if it is too sour, then chop it into smaller pieces. In a large pot, sauté chopped onions in heated oil, adding garlic after a moment. Once the onion is translucent, add the cabbage, sliced mushrooms the soaking water, and dried plums.
Let the cabbage with mushrooms simmer over low heat for at least an hour, or preferably longer. Add bay leaves, allspice, and freshly ground pepper during the cooking process. A touch of red wine can enhance the flavor.
How should you store Christmas Eve bigos? After cooking, it's best to keep them in a cool place. You can prepare them even a few days before the holidays—stored in the fridge, they improve with each passing day. Longer storage allows the flavors to meld perfectly, making the bigos even tastier.
Christmas Eve bigos with mushrooms can also be preserved. How? Place the bigos in jars and seal them tightly. Then, place the jars upside down in the oven and pasteurize for about half an hour. Properly preserved bigos can be stored for up to two months.
