This is a perfect winter-holiday lunch meal that requires little fuss and delivers a hearty result. The original recipe calls for homemade sausage along with sauerkraut that takes six months to prepare. An easy alternative is store-bought kraut and the finest sausages you can find. Serve with high-quality mustard, and substitute parsnips for the potatoes if your family prefers something sweeter. When preparing the potatoes, don’t use a potato masher or the results will be too smooth.
— Gunnar Karl Gíslason and Jody Eddy
Reprinted with permission from The Hygge Life, copyright © 2017 by Gunnar Karl Gíslason and Jody Eddy. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Photograph copyright © 2017 by Peter Frank Edwards.
Ingredients
- 8 red bliss potatoes, skin on
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (use stone-ground if you prefer something less tangy), plus more for serving
- apple cider vinegar for seasoning
- sea salt
- 4 large bratwurst or other hearty sausage
- 2 cups prepared sauerkraut
Servings: people
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a vigorous simmer over high heat. Turn the heat to medium, add the potatoes, and cook until just tender, 14 to 16 minutes. Drain the potatoes and transfer to a medium bowl. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the mustard and smash with a fork, preserving a chunky texture. Season with vinegar and salt.
- Line a plate with paper towels.
- While the potatoes are cooking, in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the bratwurst and fry until cooked through and golden brown. Drain on the prepared plate. Add the sauerkraut to the skillet along with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and sauté until warmed through.
- Place a bratwurst on each dinner plate and spoon some of the kraut and the potatoes alongside. Serve with additional mustard.
Noack’s bratwurst are the best. They are located in Meriden on East Main Street.