This classic German Christmas dish of braised sauerkraut and sausage makes for a great cold weather meal. Toss in some bacon, apple and a splash of Riesling wine for a very flavorful and hearty dish.
Drain the Sauerkraut in a colander. Then rinse and squeeze out excess water with your hands. Set the sauerkraut aside on a cloth until you're ready to add it to the casserole pot.
Coarsely chop the onion into small pieces and set aside.
Cut the bacon slices into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.
In a large enameled cast-iron casserole pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering.Add the bacon and cook over moderately high heat until the fat is rendered, and the bacon is crisp - about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
Next, add the onion pieces to the casserole pot. Cover partially and cook over medum-low heat until very soft, stirring occasionally - about 20 minutes.
Add the wine, apple, juniper berries, bay leaves, sugar, kosher salt and ground pepper. Increase the heat to moderately high and simmer for 3 minutes. Then, add the water and the sauerkraut. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the apple is very tender - about 45 minutes.
While you are waiting, begin preparing the sausages. If you bought packaged sausages, follow the instructions provided by the retailer. For raw sausages:Put the sausages in a large pot of water and bring the water to a boil.
Once the water has come to a boil, remove the pot from the burner. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
Remove the sausages from the pot and set them aside to rest for 5 minutes. Brown them on the BBQ or a skillet over medium-high heat. The sauerkraut mixture should be nearly done by this point.
Spoon the sauerkraut onto a platter and arrange the sausages on top. Sprinkle the bacon over the sausages and serve with whole-grain mustard.