Zasypana kapusta is an old Ukrainian dish of sauerkraut and fresh cabbage, millet and cracklings. In some regions it is still served at celebrations, including weddings, and in July 2024 it was added to the national list of intangible cultural heritage.

The recipe was shared by the Smachno.ua cooking portal.

The dish takes time: the cabbage is first cooked until soft, which can take from 40 minutes to an hour and a half depending on the cabbage. In return, this amount makes eight hearty servings.

What you need

  • sauerkraut — 700 g;
  • fresh cabbage — 300 g;
  • millet — 200 g;
  • onion — 1;
  • egg — 1;
  • flour — a little, for the dressing;
  • sour cream — 250 g;
  • pork belly — 500 g;
  • oil — 2 tbsp;
  • salt and ground black pepper — to taste.

How to make it

1. Prepare the cabbage. Rinse the fresh cabbage, pat dry and shred thinly. Squeeze the sauerkraut well in a colander and rinse it under a thin stream of water. Mix both kinds of cabbage, kneading them with your hands.

2. Cook the cabbage. Put the cabbage into a deep pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook over moderate heat until soft, from 40 minutes to 1.5 hours.

3. Cover with millet. Rinse the millet in a sieve, pour boiling water over it for 5 minutes, drain and rinse again. Spread it in an even layer over the cooked cabbage and do not stir. Bring to the boil and cook covered over moderate heat for 25–30 minutes.

4. Make the dressing. In a bowl whisk the egg with the flour and about ½ tsp salt. Stirring, add the sour cream and pour in 100 ml of water in a thin stream.

5. Fry the cracklings. Cut the pork belly into small cubes and fry in hot oil until the fat has rendered and the pieces are browned. Cover the cracklings with foil to keep them warm.

6. Fry the onion. Pour a little of the rendered fat into another pan, fry the diced onion in it until golden and add to the cabbage and millet. Stir and cook covered for about 5 minutes.

7. Add the dressing. Pour in the dressing, season with salt and pepper and stir very well. Turn the heat down to the minimum and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes.

Transfer the finished dish to a deep plate and sprinkle with the cracklings. It can also be made without flour: whisk the rinsed millet with the egg and spread it over the cabbage, and add the sour cream to the fried onion.

As a reminder, in early October we made bigos with sauerkraut and fresh cabbage.

Nota bene

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