This week my little project is a recipe hack of the traditional German Grünkohl or Kale and Sausage dinner. It is a very traditional dish for Ostfriesland but based on the amount of variations I see on the recipe online I think it has migrated along with the people.
The kale is harvested after the first frost which preserves the bright green color when it is frozen. The bright green inevitably turns to a dull green after hours of cooking but the flavor makes up for looks in the incredibly unattractive dish. Scroll to the bottom if you want to see what it looks like cooked but please don’t let this deter you. Kale is full of lovely antioxidants even if it is smothered in onions.
I have finally gotten my hands on a slow cooker (I love amazon.de) and have been looking for recipes to test its worthiness. This recipe was perfect for my new kitchen appliance, it needed the afternoon for the flavors to meld and the aroma to fill the house. Hubby is not a fan of Grünkohl but I love it and because the Grünkohl served in restaurants is normally too salty for my taste, this is the perfect recipe to make at home.
What you need:
8 cups of chopped kale
2 cups or chopped onions
1/2 cup of rehydrated spelt
1 tsp nutmeg
lots of fresh pepper
6 tbsp mustard – I used jalapeno mustard
750 ml bouillon
Course ground spicy pork sausages – I used Pinkel
smoked bacon chunks- optional
What you need to do:
In a skillet fry up the bacon until just perfect, remove and soften onions in the bacon grease. Mix in spices, mustard and bouillon and bring to a boil. Stir bacon into the mix, if you wish or save it for something else. It’s really up to you.
Mix kale, spelt and hot onion mix in the slow cooker and place the sausages on top. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 6 – 8 hours or until it smells good.
For the most traditional version of this tasty winter meal, serve with boiled potatoes and smoked ham slices and another sausage type.
