Hi all! Today I’ll tell you how to prepare a very tasty, aromatic and appetizing dish from Polish cuisine - bigus (or bigos, as it is also called). Its basis is any meat and cabbage (fresh and pickled).
After studying the suggested recipes, you can easily repeat the same thing in your own kitchen and feed your loved ones an amazing lunch or dinner. Having tasted it, any housewife will understand that the time for preparing bigus was not wasted.
I would also like to suggest looking at a few more excellent recipes for making stewed cabbage, which will also not leave you indifferent. Especially if you really love cabbage. Cook and enjoy the magical taste of these dishes!
Fresh cabbage bigus with sausage
When you want a delicious dinner, but you don’t have much time or you’re too tired after a day of work, this recipe will be a godsend for you. Bigus will be ready in a fairly short time. Very simple, satisfying and appetizing.
Ingredients:
- Sausages – 450 gr
- White cabbage – 1 kg
- Medium carrots - 2 pcs.
- Medium onions - 2 pcs.
- Tomato paste – 25 g
- Sugar - 10 g
- Salt, pepper - to taste
- Vegetable oil - for frying
Preparation:
1. Wash the cabbage and remove the outer leaves if they are limp or damaged. Then chop it using a knife or other available means, not too finely. Add a little salt and knead with your hands.
2. Cut the onions into small cubes and grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Then pour vegetable oil into the frying pan and let it heat up. When the pan is hot enough, add all the prepared vegetables there. Stir, cover and simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes.
During the stewing process, the cabbage should release its juice. But, if it is not enough, you can pour 100 ml of water into the frying pan so that nothing burns.
3. At this time, work on the sausages. Cut them into not very thin slices. Then transfer them to a free frying pan (also preheated with vegetable oil). Fry them until the pieces are browned on both sides, stirring with a spatula.
4. When the vegetables are stewed, add sugar and tomato paste. Stir and simmer for another 5 minutes. Then add salt and pepper to your taste and add the fried sausages. Stir again and simmer for 5 minutes. Afterwards, divide the finished dish into portioned plates and serve.
Bigos Polish
Finally, we are preparing bigos (or bigus) - a very tasty, satisfying and aromatic second course based on cabbage and meat. It is traditional for the cuisines of countries such as Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine and Belarus. There are a huge number of options for bigos recipes, and today I propose to take a closer look at one of them. Bigos in Polish - please love and favor!
You can write about bigos for as long as you can cook this second dish. But I will try not to torment you with my lyrics and keep it to a few lines. So, to prepare this dish, it is customary to use a mixture of sauerkraut and fresh white cabbage, fatty meat (pork or game), any smoked meats, onions, and seasonings. Polish-style bigos usually contains mushrooms (dried or fresh, depending on the season) and wine (originally red, but I prefer white).
In addition, prunes and raisins are added, but I do not use them, since in my family such additives are not recognized in this dish. Sour apples, red currant or plum jam, tomato concentrates (paste, sauce or juice), natural honey or flour dressing - all this also has the right to exist as a supplement to bigos.
It takes quite a long time to prepare bigos (sometimes it takes almost the whole day), but it is worth it. The essence of cooking comes down to sequential stewing of sauerkraut and fresh white cabbage, separate frying of meat and onions, after which all components are stewed together on the lowest heat for a long time.
It must be said that the correct bigos will be ready only on the third day. Yes, yes, only after 3 days will this dish, so to speak, ripen - this is what connoisseurs and connoisseurs think. In other words, you prepared the bigos, let it cool completely, then on the second day you stewed it again, cooled it again, and only after the third heating can the cabbage and meat be served.
For our realities, this method is hardly suitable: what kind of housewife would do such a thing, leaving her family to starve? But it’s still worth a try: just cook a lot of bigos, eat some of it right away, and keep the rest (cool and heat) as expected. By the way, bigos tolerates freezing well, without losing its taste and texture, so it can be prepared for future use.
When finished, bigos has a rich color (bronze hue), a bright smoked aroma, a pleasant sour taste and a very thick consistency (there is no liquid at all). Bigos must be served hot, accompanied by black bread and a glass of ice-cold vodka (this is not mandatory).
https://youtu.be/https://youtu.be/0p7VuJBL-S8
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Classic recipe for bigus made from sauerkraut and fresh cabbage
Try the classic Polish-style bigus. This option cannot be called very fast, since there is meat present. And even though it takes a little less than three hours to prepare, it’s worth the wait. The dish turns out incredibly tasty and satisfying.
Ingredients:
- Pork – 500 gr
- Hunting sausages – 250 gr
- Carrots - 1 pc.
- Onions - 1-2 pcs.
- White cabbage – 300 gr
- Sauerkraut – 300 gr
- Vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons
- Water – 250 ml
- Tomato paste - 2-3 tablespoons
- Sugar - 0.5 teaspoon
- Salt, pepper - to taste
Preparation:
1. Cut the pork meat into small pieces. Heat a frying pan with vegetable oil and place them on its surface. Add a little salt and pepper. Mix everything and fry for 10 minutes.
2. In the meantime, cut the onion into small cubes. Carrots can be cut arbitrarily (in circles, semi-circles or cubes). Next, when the required time has passed, add the vegetables to the meat, stir and continue frying for another 10 minutes.
3. Then pour in water. It should completely cover the meat. As soon as it boils, cover the pan with a lid and simmer until the meat is cooked. This is approximately 30-40 minutes.
4. While the meat is stewing, chop fresh cabbage in any way convenient for you. Cut the hunting sausages according to your taste, arbitrarily. And prepare sauerkraut.
5. When the pork is ready, add tomato paste and stir well. Then add the rest of the products there: fresh and sauerkraut, hunting sausages. Mix everything again. Cover the pan with a lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. If necessary, you can stir once more, but no more.
After 1 hour, add sugar to the dish. Cover again and simmer for another 40 minutes. Then turn off the heat, stir and let the dish brew for about 10-15 minutes. When serving, sprinkle the bigus with fresh herbs.
Bigus with chicken and fresh cabbage
One of the most budget-friendly options for preparing Polish bigus is with chicken. And the time cost is also less than, for example, the previous recipe. In addition, a dish prepared according to this recipe will be more dietary. And in taste it is not inferior to its counterparts with pork or beef.
Ingredients:
- Chicken fillet – 300 gr
- Onion - 1 pc.
- Carrots - 1 pc.
- White cabbage – 350 gr
- Tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
- Salt - to taste
- Vegetable oil - 2-3 tablespoons
- Water – 200 ml
Preparation:
1. Cut the fillet into medium pieces and place in a frying pan heated with vegetable oil. Stirring, fry it for about 5-7 minutes over high heat.
2. Then add the onion, cut into small cubes, to the chicken. Fry until translucent. Next, add carrots grated on a coarse or medium grater. Stir and fry for another 5 minutes. Then add salt and tomato paste. Mix everything well.
3. Place shredded fresh cabbage on top and cover with water. Stir, cover the frying pan with a lid and simmer for 1-1.5 hours over low heat, depending on the freshness of the cabbage. If necessary, add water if it boils over. Let the finished bigus sit for a while before serving.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
Freezing disrupts the structure of meat, causing it to lose its juiciness.
It is advisable to find fresh meat if the task is to prepare a rich and at the same time tender bigus. If the piece was in the freezer, it should be defrosted gradually, never pouring water on it. The characteristic sourness of bigus is given by the addition of sauerkraut, a small amount of wine or tomato paste. Spices should be selected to taste, and fresh chopped herbs should be sprinkled on the finished dish.
The composition of bigus is a bit like green cabbage soup, so if it sits for 24 hours, it will become tastier. While expecting guests, you can prepare hot food a day earlier and reheat it before they arrive.
When using sausage or sausage instead of meat, you should regularly add water to the pan when stewing. Meat, unlike sausages, produces juice, which is most often enough to prepare food.
How to cook bigus from sauerkraut with meat
I would like to invite you to watch a detailed video recipe for making bigus with sauerkraut. This dish has a very simple and inexpensive composition of ingredients, which should make it an incredibly tasty and appetizing dinner for the whole family.
Ingredients:
- Sauerkraut - 1.5 kg
- Pork – 600 gr
- Onions - 1-2 pcs.
- Carrots - 1 pc.
- Garlic - 3 cloves
- Tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
- Salt, pepper - to taste
- Vegetable oil - for frying
At your discretion, you can add your favorite spices to the bigus. They are added at the same moment when ground black pepper should be added. This simple dish will not leave you indifferent, you just have to try it.
Main ingredients
The famous specialty of Polish cuisine is based on native Russian products: sauerkraut and smoked meats. For the latter, you can take smoked sausages, frankfurters, brisket, chicken, shanks, and ribs. Any meat product with a characteristic smoky flavor will do.
Here is a complete list of products for traditional Polish bigos:
- pork and beef – 400 g each;
- smoked meats – 500 g;
- sauerkraut and fresh cabbage - 500 g each;
- fresh mushrooms – 300 g (dried – according to the season);
- carrots – 1 large or 2 medium root vegetables;
- prunes – 6 pcs.;
- dry white wine – 150 ml;
- garlic – 2 cloves;
- tomato. pasta – 3 tbsp. l.;
- allspice – 6 peas;
- cumin and coriander - 0.5 teaspoon each. l.;
- sunflower oil for frying;
- a pinch of salt.
Quantities indicated are for 6 servings.
In Poland, every housewife considers it obligatory to master the technology of making bigos at home. Each family keeps its favorite recipe, which is passed down through generations. Some people prefer to cook bigos without a portion of fresh cabbage or mushrooms, others replace white wine with red. Instead of prunes, add dried apricots or pickled apples. In adapted variations, onions are often used, but this ingredient is not found in native Polish traditions.
Step-by-step recipe for bigus with cabbage and minced meat
And here is another version of the bigus. It is simpler and cooks faster, since minced meat is placed there instead of meat. If you have young and fresh cabbage on hand, the dish will be at your table even earlier. Tasty, aromatic, nutritious and healthy.
Ingredients:
- White cabbage – 700 gr
- Minced meat (any) - 300-400 g
- Carrots - 1 pc.
- Onion - 1 pc.
- Tomato juice - 200-300 ml
- Bay leaf - 1 pc.
- Salt, ground pepper - to taste
- Vegetable oil - for frying
Preparation:
1. First you need to prepare the vegetables. Shred the cabbage. Cut the onion into small cubes. Grate the carrots on a medium or coarse grater. Next, pour vegetable oil into the frying pan and heat it on the stove. Send onions and carrots there. Fry them until soft.
2. Next, add the minced meat and mix well so that it is evenly distributed. Fry it for about 10 minutes, stirring, over medium heat. Then place the cabbage in the pan, stir and continue frying for 15 minutes with the lid closed. Stir it from time to time so that it cooks well and does not burn.
3. Next, pour tomato juice into the dish being prepared. Salt, pepper and add bay pepper. Cover again and simmer over low heat for about an hour until the cabbage is soft enough. When serving, sprinkle the bigus with fresh herbs. This will make it even more aromatic and delicious.
— Cooking features —
Bigos is traditionally stewed in a cauldron over an open fire or in a saucepan on the stove. Cook the stew for as long as possible over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, otherwise the dish will have a bitter taste. The dishes for bigos must certainly be large: so, there will be enough food for everyone, but the main thing is that the bigos will need to be reheated. Bigos is one of those few dishes that, after being stored in the refrigerator, and even frozen, and reheated several times, only get better. For example, if you cook bigos on Sunday and serve it on Wednesday, it will be even tastier.
Fresh cabbage bigus with pork
Above there was already a video recipe on how to cook bigus with sauerkraut and pork. Now let's see how to do this with a fresh head of cabbage. The dish turns out to be no less satisfying, tasty and rich. Try this option too.
Ingredients:
- White cabbage – 2.5 kg
- Pork – 800 gr
- Medium carrots - 2 pcs.
- Medium onion - 2 pcs.
- Tomato paste - 1-2 tablespoons
- Salt, pepper - to taste
- Water (boiled) - 100 ml
- Vegetable oil - for frying
- Fresh herbs - for serving
Preparation:
1. Cut the pork into small pieces. Heat a frying pan with vegetable oil and place the meat there. Salt and pepper to taste. Fry it until golden brown, about 20 minutes over medium heat.
2. Next, add the onion, chopped into small cubes, into the pan. Stir in the meat and fry for about 5 minutes. Then add carrots, grated on a coarse grater. Stir again and continue to fry until tender (also about 5 minutes).
3. After the above-mentioned frying, add tomato paste and cabbage. It can be added in parts if it all does not fit at once. Add water and mix everything. Cover with a lid and simmer for 2 hours over low heat. When you turn off the heat, let the dish sit for a while and then serve. When serving, sprinkle with fresh herbs.
Lenten bigos in Polish
This is bigos, which is fundamentally different from the previous ones in that it does not contain meat. It is extremely good for lovers of lighter foods and vegetarians. Also suitable for those who are fasting.
Thanks to the secret ingredients, you get amazing taste and aroma! Of course, a large number of spices play a decisive role in achieving a tasty result: pepper, bay leaf, thyme, dry mustard, coriander, marjoram, paprika, etc. We also add grated fresh apples and fried tofu cheese cubes, season the cabbage with soy sauce. Yummy, try it yourself!
To prepare we will need:
- Sauerkraut – 800 gr.
- Fresh cabbage – 800 gr.
- Onion – 3 pcs.
- Garlic – 2 cloves
- Water – 2 l.
- Soy sauce – 4 tbsp. spoons
- Black pepper – 6 peas
- Bay leaf – 4 pcs.
- Dried mushrooms – 200 gr.
- Ground black pepper – 0.5 teaspoon
- Thyme – 1 teaspoon
- Rosemary – 1 teaspoon
- Coriander – 0.5 teaspoon
- Dry mustard – 0.5 teaspoon
- Marjoram – 1 teaspoon
- Paprika – 1 teaspoon
- Prunes – 15 pcs.
- Apple – 2 pcs.
- Tomato paste – 2 tbsp. spoons
- Tofu cheese – 400 gr.
- Salt – 0.5 tbsp. spoons
1. Cut tofu cheese into small cubes.
2. Fry it in a heated frying pan, greased with vegetable oil, until golden brown, add salt.
3. Squeeze the sauerkraut with your hands to remove excess liquid and chop finely with a knife. Shred the fresh one to a thickness of 1-2 cm.
4. Pour oil into a thick-bottomed saucepan or saucepan and fry the onion until golden brown.
5. Pour two types of cabbage into the onion, add water, soy sauce, black peppercorns, bay leaf, and simmer the vegetables for 15 minutes.
6. Add the pre-soaked mushrooms along with the yushka to the cabbage.
7. Chop the prunes coarsely. Three apples on a fine grater. Add these ingredients to the cabbage and add a spoonful of tomato paste. Season with seasonings.
8. Mix everything carefully. Cook over low heat with the lid closed for 1.5-2 hours. 10 minutes before cooking, add fried tofu.
Our dish is ready!
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