If you ask any gourmet to tell you what traditional Polish cuisine is associated with, he will most likely mention bigos (or, as we often say, bigus). This is really a great dish, the ability to cook which is a matter of pride for any cook.
Experts say that bigus does not tolerate fuss either during cooking, or even less during a meal. Before, the cooking process took several days! But could labor costs and a long wait stop a real connoisseur?
Fortunately, modern food lovers have a great opportunity to adapt an old bigus recipe for a multicooker. Smart technology will help you quickly get a good result, and our article will tell you about all the subtleties.
A dish with ancient history
Adam Mickiewicz wrote about bigus in the immortal poem Pan Tadeusz:
But bigos is warming; hard to say
About how tasty it is, about how wonderful it smells!
Words, rhyme order, transfer everything to another,
But the essence does not understand the city's stomach!
A healthy hunter and a villager -
Lithuanian dishes are the only connoisseur!
But even without those condiments, Lithuanian bigos is tasty,
There are many vegetables in it, and their choice is skillful;
Sauerkraut sprinkled slides
Thaw on the lips, according to the Polish proverb.
Cabbage stewed in boilers for at least an hour,
Chunks of the finest meat are stewed with it,
Until the juices pass through the heat,
As long as they do not spill over the edge with steam ...
The heroes of the novels of Henryk Sienkiewicz also enjoyed the bigos. And in other works of Polish writers it is often mentioned.
But in fairness, it is worth noting that this dish is considered not only by Poles, but also Lithuanians, Balts, Germans. They prepare classic bigus in many countries of Central and Western Europe. Even the name is controversial precisely because the word is used in different languages. In Russian, both versions took root: both “bigos” and “bigus”.
In severe winters, the aristocrats in rich castles, soldiers on campaigns, monks in remote monasteries, peasants and hunters escaped with this hot, satisfying meal. This is a true concept dish. The magnificent bigus from game is the reward of a successful hunter. Brew with veal, pork, sausage speaks of wealth and prosperity. A couple of sausages and a glass of sauerkraut from a nearby shop are the salvation of a Warsaw student.
But the main advantage of this dish is in its unifying power, family. Bigus is not eaten alone and is not cooked for one yourself. This is a symbol of home comfort, a home, a sincere love for the family, for which the gods had to work hard on this food.
Classic cooking
Cooking bigus has always been considered a bit of home magic. Therefore, before we begin, we will pay tribute to the chefs of past centuries and see how the classic bigus was prepared in the old days. This will help to understand the algorithm of work when preparing food in a multicooker.
The main components were such products as sauerkraut, various types of meat and sausages, dried mushrooms, dried plums, spices.
Bigus was cooked without frying and adding tomato paste. The weight of meat was taken as much as cabbage. A modern hostess will certainly be surprised by the huge number of components necessary for the preparation of one food boiler:
- 2-2.5 kg of sauerkraut with carrots;
- 1.2-1.5 kg of various types of meat (pork, poultry, venison);
- 200-250 ml of broth;
- salt, pepper, sweet, hot paprika and marjoram;
- 0.5 kg of homemade sausage;
- 300 g smoked bacon;
- 50 g of dried mushrooms;
- 10-12 smoked plums;
- 3 bay leaves;
- allspice and juniper leaves;
- 200 ml of red wine (optional).
Dried mushrooms were soaked in advance overnight, and the meat was rubbed with spices. The next day, while the meat components were baked in the oven, braised cabbage, removing excess liquid. After that, mushrooms were added to the cabbage along with water in which they soaked, chopped meat, baked bacon and sausage. Poured with meat sauce, added red wine and prunes.
After the long extinguishing process began. But it was possible to serve food to the table only after a couple of days. To ripen, the bigus pot was taken out in the cold, and then warmed up again.
To cook a bigus in a slow cooker, we need much less time and effort. But the scheme will remain approximately the same.
Cooking in a slow cooker
Having familiarized with the old recipe, you can notice that it is based on two technological processes: baking and stewing. So, it is quite possible to use a recipe for a multicooker.
Bigusus modern housewives usually adapt to the tastes of the family. Many people prefer to do roasting (there is also a corresponding mode in the technique). Of course, it is unlikely that everyone has the opportunity to bury the pan with the food in a snowdrift, but it is not difficult to take it out to the balcony or at least for several hours to put it in the refrigerator.
Product Tips
It’s great if you have the opportunity to use homemade sauerkraut for bigus. But you can get by with the purchase (only it should not have apples and cranberries).
To reduce the cost of the dish, you can use sausages or smoked sausage for bigus. But if you want to achieve maximum compliance with the old recipe, it is better to purchase a small ring of homemade.
It is not necessary to take meat of aged animals for the recipe, it can be tough. If possible, try to use a product that has not been frozen.
If you do not want to use wine, make up for the lack of liquid with broth. The dish will not get worse from this.
When choosing seasonings, try not to overdo it. This dish already has a rich taste.
Depending on the wishes and preferences of the family, you can improvise.
Product proportions
Let's look at what ingredients are needed for homemade bigus recipes (the quantities are indicated for a medium-volume bowl):
- If you want to add sauerkraut to bigus, it is recommended to mix it in equal proportions with fresh. Just need 800 grams of cabbage.
- Meat components should be at least 500 g. It can be raw or smoked meat, boiled pork. It is believed that the more different products are used, the better the bigus will come out.
- Sausages are added as desired. Just a couple of pieces.
- Carrots and onions are laid for brightness of taste and beauty. Prepare one thing at a time.
- Just a tablespoon of tomato paste will make the dish beautiful and thick.
- Be sure to stock up with prunes (3-4 pcs.).
- If you are lucky enough to get at least a couple tablespoons of dried forest mushrooms, the dish will turn out to be simply luxurious.
- Do not forget about vegetable oil - it will be needed to lubricate the bowl.
- Prepare also a small cup of red wine or broth.
Product pretreatment
Rinse the meat, remove the films. If there is a bone inside a piece, do not remove it yet.
Rinse the mushrooms, soak in boiling water and cover the container with a lid. This will save time.
Chop the onion into strips (or cube), cut the carrots into cubes or grate on a coarse grater.
Try to squeeze the juice from sauerkraut. And chop a fresh smaller one.
Cooking roasting
The meat can be prepared in the “Baking” or “Baking” mode with the lid closed. Until it is cut into pieces, send it to the bowl as a whole. Time depends on the size and features of the multicooker model. It usually takes about half an hour.
If there is enough fat left over from the meat, cook the fry directly in it. Otherwise, grease the bowl with oil or lard. Turn on the "Frying" mode, load the onion. When it is a little browned, add the carrots and fry a little more, without closing the lids.
Quenching
Add cabbage to the frying, mix gently. Cut the meat into small pieces, drain the water from the mushrooms, cut the prunes in half. Combine all the ingredients in a multicooker bowl.
Bigus with meat will be more aromatic if at the same stage you add a very small bay leaf and a few peas of pepper.
Add the liquid so that it almost covers the ingredients. Close the lid, turn on the "Extinguishing" mode. It will take about an hour to prepare the dish, but it is not worth letting it go by itself. Stir in a slow cooker bigus with cabbage, add fluid if necessary. Before turning off, add your favorite spices and adjust the salt.
Ripening
After extinguishing, do not rush to open the lid. Let the food cool. It is saturated with the aroma of spices, the tastes of all components are intertwined into a single harmonious composition.
Later, it is advisable to overload the bigus in a pan, completely cool. As in the case with cabbage soup, this dish is preferably served the next day.
Serving to the table
If you are cooking a bigus in a slow cooker to serve it to the festive table, take care of the serving. Pottery in ethnic style will help to create the surroundings. Aromatic homemade bread and pickles are served to the bigus. Of alcoholic beverages, the highest quality is considered to be dark beer.