Kranjska klobasa s kislim zeljem
The Carniolan sausage with braised sauerkraut, sharp mustard and a pile of freshly grated horseradish, the plate that put Slovenian sausage on the map.
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 45 min
- total
- 55 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- easy
Kranjska klobasa, the Carniolan sausage, is a smoked pork sausage with a protected European name, seasoned simply with salt, pepper and garlic. Its classic partner is kislo zelje, sauerkraut cooked soft with onion, caraway and a bay leaf, plus mustard and fresh horseradish.
The sausage itself is warmed in water that never boils, which keeps it plump and juicy. Pricking the skin or boiling it hard is the one way to ruin it.
Kranjska klobasa s kislim zeljem is one of the twenty most famous Slovenian foods.
method
Soften the onion in the lard in a pot over medium heat, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and caraway and cook for a minute.
Add the sauerkraut, bay leaf and water. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and mellow.
Heat a wide pot of water to about 80°C (176°F), steaming but not bubbling. Add the whole sausages and keep them in the hot water for 15 to 20 minutes, never letting it boil.
Lift the sausages out and serve them on top of the sauerkraut with mustard, bread and the horseradish root to grate fresh over everything.
chef's tips
- Do not boil or prick the sausage; hot water at a bare simmer keeps the juices inside.
- Fresh horseradish, grated at the last minute, is what makes this plate; the jarred kind is a distant second.
- No Kranjska klobasa nearby: a good smoked Polish kielbasa or Hungarian sausage is the closest swap.