Kapustnica

Ingredients

• 800 g sauerkraut, with 150 ml of its juice
• 25 g dried porcini or mixed forest mushrooms
• 400 g smoked pork ribs or a small smoked hock
• 200 g klobása or other smoked sausage, sliced 5 mm thick
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp lard
• 1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• 6 dried prunes, halved
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 4 allspice berries
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.5 litres water
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 150 ml sour cream
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• salt and black pepper

Before you cook

• Cover the dried mushrooms with 250 ml of warm water and soak them for 30 minutes.
• Chop the onion finely and slice the sausage 5 mm thick.
• Drain the sauerkraut, keeping 150 ml of the juice, and chop any very long strands.
• Halve the prunes and pull out any stones.

Steps

1. Lift the soaked mushrooms out of their water and chop them roughly, then keep the soaking liquid.
2. Melt the lard in a large pot over medium heat.
3. Cook the chopped onion in the lard for 8 minutes, until soft and golden at the edges.
4. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the paprika, so it toasts in the hot fat without burning.
5. Return the pot to the heat, add the sliced sausage and fry for 3 minutes until the fat runs red.
6. Add the smoked ribs, the sauerkraut, the reserved sauerkraut juice, the chopped mushrooms, the caraway, the allspice and the bay leaves.
7. Pour in 1.5 litres of water and the mushroom soaking liquid, stopping before the grit at the bottom.
8. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 90 minutes, until the meat falls from the bones.
9. Fish out the ribs, strip the meat from the bones and return the meat to the pot.
10. Stir in the halved prunes and simmer for 10 minutes more.
11. Whisk the flour into the sour cream until smooth, then loosen it with a ladleful of the hot soup.
12. Pour the cream mixture into the pot and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring.
13. Crush the marjoram between your palms into the soup and season with pepper and a little salt.
14. Let the kapustnica stand off the heat for 15 minutes before ladling it out with dark rye bread.