Magda's Cauldron

When I left IT to teach people about Polish food, I discovered that bigos is a real classic. It’s a perfect dish for sharing at any occasion.

What is Bigos?

Bigos is a mix of sauerkraut, cabbage, meats, sausages, mushrooms, spices, and sometimes a splash of wine, tomato paste, or dried prunes. It’s the perfect blend of classic Polish flavors: sour and smoky. It takes time and patience to make, but you don’t need to be perfect – just use what you have.

Why bigos is great for holidays and parties?

Bigos is perfect for Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, or any big get-together. It’s made in a big pot, so there’s no point making a small portion. The best part is that bigos tastes better after you heat it again. You can even make it ahead of time and freeze it. It’s also a great way to use leftover meats after Thanksgiving. Just mix everything together and cook slowly to make amazing flavours.

How to Make Bigos

Bigos might sound fancy, but it’s really easy to make and you can change it to your liking. First, cook the meats, then add fresh and sauerkraut cabbage, mushrooms, prunes, and spices like bay leaves, juniper, and allspice. You can use the meats you want – there’s no one right way. The secret is to cook it slowly so all the flavors mix together and get deep and rich.

Tips for your Bigos

• Use a big pot because fresh cabbage needs a lot of space.
• You can use more or less fresh or sauerkraut cabbage depending on if you like it more sour or sweeter
• Take your time cooking it and taste as you go
• Bigos tastes best the next day or after reheating
• Freeze leftovers for an easy meal later on

Make‑ahead bigos: traditional Polish hunter’s stew for cozy comfort

• Servings: 8 servings
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: Few hours
• Difficulty: Medium
• Print

Bigos is a mix of sauerkraut, cabbage, meats, sausages, mushrooms, spices, and sometimes a splash of wine, tomato paste, or dried prunes. It’s the perfect blend of classic Polish flavors: sour and smoky.

Ingredients

• 40 g dried mushrooms
• 4 dried pitted prunes, chopped
• 1 glass of red wine
• 1 small white cabbage (around 1 kg)
• 800 g sauerkraut, chopped
• around 200g mix of cured or baked meat (ham, sausages/kielbasa), cubed or sliced
• around 400g mix of fresh pork and/or beef, cubed
• 50 g smoked bacon, cubed
• 2 bay leaves
• 4-5 juniper berries
• 3 peppercorns
• 4 allspice berries
• 1 l broth
• salt, pepper

Directions

Boil the dried mushrooms in two cups of water. Leave it to cool. Soak prunes in red wine. Prepare a large, heavy-bottomed pot and a large frying pan. Cut the bacon into small cubes and all the meat into small pieces. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil into the hot pan, add the bacon, and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the bacon to the pot. Sauté onions in 1 tablespoon of oil until translucent. Add it to the pot with the meat. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and brown the meat in batches. Transfer the browned meat to the pot with the bacon. Place the pot with the browned meat over heat, pour in the broth (preferably hot), and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for about 30-40 minutes until soft. Finely shred the fresh cabbage, discarding the tough core. Add it to the pot with the meat and mix well. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes. While continuing to cook the bigos, add the mushrooms along with their soaking liquid, the drained sauerkraut, chopped prunes along with wine, and spices (2 bay leaves, 4-5 juniper berries, 3 peppercorns, allspice berries). Mix thoroughly and cook for another 30 minutes. Peel the sausage, cut it into cubes or slices, brown it in the pan, and add it to the bigos. Add the tomato concentrate, mix thoroughly, cover, and cook for about 1 hour. Stir occasionally and check that the bigos isn’t sticking to the bottom. Season with pepper and salt to taste.

]