Sauerkraut or 'Choucroute' recipe (Alsacian or german cabbage stew)

This recipe is very popular in the region of Alsace in France. This region still keeps so much German influence and you can find that influence especially in their dishes. I love this one is winter as it is quite rich in flavour and very special too. My mother would make the sauerkraut from scratch but I can't be bothered! it is a very long process and it needs to cook for a long time to make the cabbage. So most of the time I will buy it but I have made it before too. This recipe is probably not the authentic one as I don't put pork or some other meats in it but it still pretty close to the original one.

Serve: 4
Cooking time: 1h

Ingredients:

2 to 3 large potatoes
1 pack of sauerkraut from the supermarket
300 g diced bacon
2 kransky saussages
4 strasbourg saussages or frankfurt (the essential is to put saussages that are a little smokey so you can choose which ones to put it)
oil or butter to fry
1 onion
6-7 cloves
1 apple
2 TS cumin
2 bay leaves
lots of pepper (from a grinder)
1 glass of white white (preferably dry)
500 ml of boiling water
some different mustard to serve with (type french mustard, english, wholegrain)
butter to serve with

1. Rinse the sauerkraut quite well 3 to 4 times (this will make it less acidic).

2. Put the cloves in the onion (pick it) as the picture shows.

3. In a large heavy pan put some oil or butter and heat it a little. Add the cut apple in small dice, the sauerkraut, the onion, the cumin, the bay leaves, and about 2 TB of pepper. Fry the lot for a few minutes. Add the bacon and then add the glass of white wine.

4. Let it simmer for 30 minutes until the water has slightly reduced.

5. Add the potatoes cut in half and the saussages. Let it cook another 30 minutes with the lid on.

Serve it when ready with served best with a Riesling wine or any dry wine will do (you can even use the one from the recipe too!)