Bigos (Polish Hunter’s Stew)
Bigos, the perfect comfort stew.
Bigos, or Polish Hunter’s Stew as it is commonly known, stands out as my preferred comfort stew. In contrast to the usual thick and robust stews, Bigos maintains a delicate and nutritious character despite its inherent heartiness. In my rendition, the inclusion of chicken contributes to its lighter profile, complemented by the noteworthy presence of cabbage and sauerkraut.
While I personally opted for chicken, the versatility of Bigos becomes apparent as it accommodates various meat choices. The traditional selection leans towards Polish sausage, yet the dish's adaptability allows for a broad spectrum of ingredients. This flexibility renders Bigos a culinary canvas, open to customization based on individual preferences. Thus, making Bigos the perfect stew.
Bigos (Polish Hunter’s Stew)
1 TBSP bacon fat or butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 quart chicken stock
1 TBSP tomato paste
6 Dried wild mushrooms such as porcini or chanterelles
½ cup dry red wine such as Pinot Noir
1 lb. boneless and skinless chicken thighs
2 small rutabagas or one large rutabaga, peeled and quartered
1 small head of green cabbage, chopped
½ cup of Polish sauerkraut
2 bay leaves
Dried parsley
Spice Mix
1 tsp ground caraway
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground clove
Prepping the Stew:
In a small bowl combine all the ingredients for the spice mix, put aside.
Cut your boneless chicken thighs into 1” chunks, add your spice mix to the chicken chunks and toss to coat the chicken in the spices. Cover your chicken with cling film and put aside for about 30 minutes. Leaving the chicken with spices ensures that the spice mixture penetrates the meat and seasons it inside and out.
While you're waiting on the chicken, add your dried mushrooms to a small bowl and submerge them with boiling water to rehydrate the mushrooms. Put the mushrooms aside.
Prep your veggies according to the ingredients list and get ready to make some stew.
Making the Stew:
In a Dutch Oven or heavy bottomed pot, add your bacon fat or butter and turn the stove on high heat. Add your seasoned chicken to your hot bacon fat and cook until the chicken is browned on all sides. Once browned, remove the chicken and set aside.
Turn your heat down to medium low and add your diced onions to the Dutch Oven. Add a little sprinkle of salt to the onions and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the smashed garlic and continue to cook until both are soft and very fragrant.
Add the soaked mushrooms along with the mushroom water, there’s a lot of flavor in the mushroom “tea” and you shouldn’t waste it. When you add the mushrooms and liquid scrap off all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the Dutch Oven. Cook until most of the mushroom tea has cooked off. Add your tomato paste and mix until completely incorporated into your vegetable aromatics. Cook the tomato paste until it has turned bright red and thickened slightly.
Next, add your red wine to your tomato covered aromatics and cook until the wine becomes very thick. Add the chopped cabbage and sauerkraut, cook until the cabbage becomes wilted and soft.
Pour in the chicken broth and set the Dutch Oven to high heat. Once the stew is at a rolling boil, add your browned chicken and quartered rutabaga. Lower to a simmer and add your bay leaves. Cover and let the stew cook for 1 hour. After an hour, take off the lid and give the stew a stir. Leave the lid off and continue to cook for another hour to reduce some of the cooking liquid.
Once you have the desired thickness, add dried parsley as well as salt and pepper to taste.
Serve your warm and comforting Bigos with plenty of hearty bread such as rye or sourdough.
*Notes:
In the ingredients list I note to use dried porcini or chanterelle mushrooms. Now these mushrooms can be hard to come by in your local grocery story. A comparable substitute would be dried shiitake or portobello mushrooms. Both mushrooms are very meaty and would work fabulously in the stew.