A choucroute need not be meat, as is the more familiar one on page 404. Alsace, where the dish originated, has a long tradition of combining sauerkraut with fish. As is always the case, buy sauerkraut that is either sold in bulk or packed in plastic and contains no more than cabbage and salt. Serve with boiled potatoes.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 pound sauerkraut, rinsed

　　1 teaspoon juniper berries, lightly crushed with the side of a knife

　　1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried

　　1 bay leaf

　　1 cup dry white wine

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1/2 pound fillet of cod, snapper, or other white fish

　　1/2 pound smoked haddock, trout, or other smoked white fish

　　1/2 pound salmon fillet, skinned

　　1 shallot, minced

　　1/4 cup cream

　　8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, slightly softened

　　Juice of 1 lemon

　　Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

　　

Step 1

Combine the sauerkraut in a deep skillet or flameproof casserole with the juniper, thyme, bay, and all but 2 tablespoons of the white wine. Place over medium-high heat. When the mixture begins to bubble, lower the heat and cover, adjusting the heat so the mixture simmers. Cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and seasoning with salt and pepper as necessary. Lay the fish fillets on top of the sauerkraut and cover the pan once again.

　　

Step 2

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the remaining 2 tablespoons white wine with the shallot until the liquid has almost evaporated, just a few minutes. Turn the heat to low, add the cream, and stir. Add the butter a little bit at a time, stirring all the while. When the mixture is creamy, stir in the lemon juice, along with some salt and pepper. Keep warm.

　　

Step 3

When the fish is tender, about 10 minutes after adding it, spoon the sauerkraut and fish onto a platter; drizzle the sauce over all. Garnish with parsley and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.