Savour the season: Mastering the art of meatless Christmas hunter's stew

Christmas Eve hunter's stew is a dish with a long tradition. It differs from its classic counterpart mainly because it is made without adding meat. This makes it lighter while maintaining a richness of flavour due to the complementary ingredients.

This dish, known in many homes as cabbage with mushrooms, is one of the traditional twelve dishes that must appear on the Christmas Eve table. How do you prepare tasty Christmas Eve hunter's stew with mushrooms? Let's explain.

The main ingredient of Christmas Eve hunter's stew is sauerkraut, whose sour taste is the essence of the dish. To prepare hunter's stew, choosing high-quality cabbage that hasn't been acidified with vinegar is best.

The second very important ingredient is dried mushrooms. They give hunter's stew its forest aroma. Besides mushrooms, dried plums, along with onion and garlic, are often added to enhance the sweetness. All ingredients are seasoned with bay leaves, allspice, pepper, and marjoram. You can also use herbs like oregano, thyme, or basil.

Prepare Christmas Eve hunter's stew by thoroughly washing and soaking the dried mushrooms. Doing this the day before is best to allow the mushrooms to absorb the water well. Then, cut them into smaller pieces, keeping the water they soaked in—it will be an excellent base for further cooking.

Rinse the sauerkraut if it is too sour, and then chop it into smaller pieces. In a large pot, sauté chopped onions in heated oil, adding garlic after a moment. Add the cabbage, sliced mushrooms, soaking water, and dried plums when the onion becomes translucent.

Cabbage and mushrooms should simmer over low heat for at least an hour, and preferably longer. During the cooking of the Christmas Eve hunter's stew, add bay leaves, allspice, and freshly ground pepper. A bit of red wine enhances the flavour.

How do you store Christmas Eve hunter's stew? After cooking, it's best to keep it in a cool place. You can prepare it even a few days before the holidays—stored in the fridge, it gets better each day. A long storage time allows the flavours to meld perfectly, making the bigos even tastier.

Christmas Eve hunter's stew with mushrooms can also be preserved. To do this, put the stew in jars and close them tightly. Then, place the jars upside down in the oven and pasteurize for about half an hour. Properly preserved hunter's stew can be stored for up to two months.