Bigos-Pol-Stw-art

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Bigos-Pol-Stw-art - 9/24/19

"Bigos - A Polish Stew" by by Lady Marie Hélène of the New Forest.

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NOTICE -

This article was added to this set of files, called Stefan's Florilegium, with the permission of the author.

These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

While the author will likely give permission for this work to be reprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first or check for any permissions granted at the end of this file.

Thank you,

Mark S. Harris...AKA:..Stefan li Rous

stefan at florilegium.org

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Bigos

by Lady Marie Hélène of the New Forest

This is my documentation from the Canton of Moorhaven's event "So You Think You Can Cook". Bigos is most commonly known as a Polish stew, but read on, dear believers, for I found some interesting little 'tidbits' on this dish.

In searching for the actual history of this hearty stew, I have come across several conflicting accounts.

1. The recipe dates from the 5th Century to the 16th and 19th Century.

2. The recipe can trace its "heritage" anywhere from China, to Lithuania, Germany, Poland, and France

3. It is debated whether cabbage was an original additive or a later one

4. Most present-day recipes include potatoes and tomatoes

One thing that is agreed upon is that it is a hearty stew with a variety of meat, fruit and vegetables and more "sweet and sour" than the standard savory stew. This is made such by the use of vinegars, wine, sour fruits and even in one recipe, sour cream.

Similarities with the Mongolian suanlatang (hot and sour soup), the French choucroute garnie, and the Lithuanian Raugintø kopûstø sriuba to Bigos does make tracking down the true history of this stew, at best, difficult.

The most prevalent legend is that the 14th century Lithuanian Grand Duke Jogaila, who became king of Poland, served it to his hunting-party guests.

I have not found an actual recipe from that time, so I adapted a modern recipe to reflect the ingredients that were more likely to have been utilized.

Excerpt from Polish Food 101 ‒ Bigos | POLISH CUISINE at Culture.pl –

"Even the oldest Polish cookbooks, such as Stanisław Czerniecki's Compendium Ferculorum from 1682 or Wojciech Wielądko's The Perfect Cook from 1783, contain recipes for bigos, or bigoski. Back then, bigos lacked cabbage and was made with chopped meat or fish. Parsley and onion were added to the hash which was then made sour with sour fruits or vinegar. Czerniecki includes recipes for "bigosek with marrow", "bigosek with hazel", "bigosek with carp" and even "bigosek" with the once prevalent crayfish…"

1682 is a little out of period for the SCA. As I've mentioned before, there are other sources. For instance, Polish-Dictionary.com's article "Polish Bigos-What is it?" accredits Queen Bona Sforza of Lithuania (1494-1557) as bringing the Bigos recipe to Poland. While another source, Bigos, Polish Hunter's Stew | Food Perestroika, accredits Grand Duke Jogaila (1351-1434). Another source from the Food Timeline cites the book Food and Drink in Medieval Poland, (Maria Dembinska, revised and adapted by William Woys Weaver, translated by Magdalena Thomas [University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia PA] 1999 (p. 20-22)) mentions that it is a German dish, easily placing it in the 13th century with Saint Hedwig of Silesia (d.1243). It is also mentioned in the excerpt of Food and Drink in Medieval Poland, that Bigos possibly got its name from the German word for Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) – Beifuss, which was a common (popular) seasoning for meat. The word (and recipe) reputedly travelled to Poland via Alsatia (an area between Germany and Switzerland, now an area of France, Alsaçe), then Austria, Transylvania, and Hungary. Interestingly, There is a recipe similar in the Alsaçe region of France called "Choucroute garni", it is so similar that Bigos is also called "Choucroute polonaise". In yet another twist, according to several sources, A Brief History of Choucroute from Alsace - Culture Trip, and History of a Dish: Choucroute Garnie - Hudson Valley Magazine, accredit Attila the Hun and China for the creation of this dish in 451 (or thereabouts).

While sauerkraut, as we know it by its German name, or fermented cabbage, is from China (Northern Mongolia) with recipes dating back to over 2000 years ago and was standard fare for workers on the Great Wall. Although, The History of Sauerkraut - The Kitchen Project, accredits Genghis Khan, not Attila, with bringing it to Europe 1000 years ago.

This is the recipe as I found it and the adaptations I made to "correct" it to ingredients more common to the time and regions. I will use an asterisk (*) to denote which ingredients and techniques I changed. I used this as a template, but as I have found, a variety of meats, fruits and vegetables were used and were interchangeable. Something else I found, long stewing melds the flavors and brings a delicious mouth feel where the meats and vegetables melt into tenderness.

The Best Polish Bigos Recipe

(the recipe says for 8+ people so the amounts will be skewed)

4 slices of hickory smoked bacon *(If I can find it, cured pork belly, smoked jowls or speck)

2 yellow onions, chopped

1 lb Polish Sausage, quartered *(I made hearty dices)

1 lb beef or pork stew meat (or double sausage) *(mostly, if not all, pork)

2 cups mushrooms, sliced (wild is best)

4-5 large garlic cloves

3-4 medium carrots, diced *(I also added parsnips)

1.5 lb. drained sauerkraut *(do not rinse) (I rinse mine)

5 cups cabbage, shredded

1.5 teaspoons dried thyme

1.5 teaspoons dried marjoram

1 teaspoon allspice *(I used cloves and cinnamon

1 large bay leaf

2 tablespoons sweet paprika *(I would have used sandalwood)

1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed

Pinch of cayenne +(no)

salt & pepper to taste

1 cup dry red wine *( I also added vinegar, also added apple cider )

4 cups beef stock *(I have mixed stock of duck, chicken and pork)

1 can diced tomatoes (optional) *(tart apples were substituted)

Mushroom powder (optional) *(dried, then soaked. porcini mushrooms)

Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

1 cup chopped prunes

* I have Mugwort and was tempted to add it to the whole stew, but I had the powdered mugwort on the side for the taster to try on their own. I tried a pinch in my bowl and was surprised and delighted at the complex flavor it added to the stew.

Bigos Recipe Directions

1. Caramelize onions & mushrooms with bacon. Place chopped onions in large stock pot with chopped raw bacon on medium heat. COVER. Mix occasionally until the onions start to brown. Add mushrooms and cook until soft. Do not make the bacon crispy.

2. Add meat. Add sausage and all meat, mixing and browning. If you need more fat, add olive oil. You do not want to over cook the meat, just brown on the outside. If you use good smoked Polish sausage, you do not need to brown very long.

4. Add rest of ingredients. Put all ingredients together in your large pot, but not the prunes. If there is not enough room, add the cabbage first to reduce it a little.

5. Sauté for 2 to 3 hours on low. Cook until you reduce the liquid and it becomes more of a thick stew. Mix every 20 minutes or so and make sure it is not dry. You can add more red wine or broth if needed. Bigos should always be juicy. Taste, but it will not have the flavor until the next day. But, you can add more paprika or pepper.

6. Add prunes. Mix thoroughly and heat with prunes for another 10 minutes--until soft. Enjoy with Rye bread (if you can't wait), or store in fridge. Really good with Potato Cheese pierogi too--and Cabbage, Mushroom, and Kraut. * Such stews were served on trencher loaves, so in like mind, I made mini trenchers.

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Copyright 2017 by Sandi Rust. <feo2mouse at yahoo.com>. Permission is granted for republication in SCA-related publications, provided the author is credited. Addresses change, but a reasonable attempt should be made to ensure that the author is notified of the publication and if possible receives a copy.

If this article is reprinted in a publication, please place a notice in the publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also appreciate an email to myself, so that I can track which articles are being reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan.