Name: Bigos with Smoked Plums and Lentils (Bigos z wędzonymi śliwkami i soczewicą)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 10 min
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: Chopped fresh dill, for serving; 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter; 1 medium white onion (5 ounces/150 g), thinly sliced; ½ teaspoon coriander seeds; ½ teaspoon mustard seeds; 4 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon tomato paste; ½ teaspoon dried savory or thyme; ½ cup (75 g) smoked plums, chopped; 4 allspice berries; 1 medium apple (8 ounces/250 g), preferably Granny Smith, cored and grated on the large holes of a box grater; 3 whole cloves; ½ teaspoon sweet paprika; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; ¼ cup (50 g) green lentils; ½ cup (120 ml) dry red wine; 5 cups (1.25 L) Vegetable Broth or water; 1 teaspoon honey; ½ cup (20 g) dried mushrooms; 1 pound (3 cups/450 g) Sauerkraut, drained and chopped; ½ teaspoon caraway seeds; ½ teaspoon dried marjoram; One 1-pound (450 g) head green cabbage, cored and chopped; ½ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

Preparation info

Makes
4 to 6
servings

Difficulty
Complex
Ready in
4 hr 30

Appears in

Fresh From Poland

By Michał Korkosz

Published 2021

About

This is one of those rare dishes that is best made a few days in advance, because bigos only gets tastier with each reheating. My mom always says you should reheat it at least three times before serving. During the winter, I usually make a big pot of this to eat for a few days, and the last serving is always the best. Don’t be scared by the long ingredient list—it’s actually very easy, as long as you add the components at the right time. Building the richness here is very important,