There are probably some more craft jars of Bigos you can get from Polish shops, and I will surely bring them to your attention sooner rather than later. However, there is one brand that is available everywhere including big supermarkets and that is Pudliszki. The company is a well-known producer of preserved food in Poland and as far as I am aware a part of the global Heinz company. So, with that come all the pros and cons like wide availability and good standards but, well … sorry Heinz – average taste. It is though in my opinion a good and most importantly easiest introduction to Bigos.
Get the bigos and other ingredients.
My advice is to get 2 jars (at least) and also arm yourself with some additional ingredients: baking soda, good Polish sausage, wild-mushroom paste, and good quality Polish (or English) sourdough bread. And the whole process of preparation will be short and easy – this is a ready-made dish.
Now – the Polish sausage.
First, get the Polish sausage. Where do you get this? Well, the same place you buy the bigos, or if it is online, you’ll find it everywhere (see where to buy Polish food). Slice it or cut it into cubes, whichever way you like. Then brown it on a frying pan with a little bit of oil or lard. You don’t have to “cook” it because Polish sausages (most of them, there are some exemptions) are already smoked and thus are edible cold. Once it is ready you can add bigos to the same pan and heat it up together.
Important advice from a “potion master”
Now, why soda – well, bigos has a peculiar, sour, and intense taste. For us, indigenous people it is usually heaven (for some weirdos not), but for you infidels the first encounter with it might be a bit too intense and that is true, particularly with those jars of bigos from a shop. Simply, long storage intensifies that impression, and your tastebuds may slightly rebel. It’s exactly like with some French cheese – you hate it first and then after a while, you’ll spend the last penny to get it 😊. Fresh, home-cooked Bigos is usually more palatable, although that depends on the cook. In this case, I strongly advise you to have some baking soda at hand. What does that do? It simply neutralizes the intense sourness. Now, important bit. You don’t need a lot. Start literally with a pinch of it sprinkle it on the content of the jar and then simply mix it in while heating the food. Try it when it’s already warm and if you need to soften it a bit more use another pinch.
Spice up your bigos with Polish food magic
The wild mushroom paste is an additional option. In Poland, bigos is often cooked with wild mushrooms (fresh or dried) and then it has an additional flavour in its already rich palette. If you decide to add it, simply dissolve one cube of the paste (available here) in 100 mil (1/2 cup) of boiling water. Then add half of it to the sausage you’ve browned and evaporate most of it. Then add the rest gradually to the bigos itself (too much water may mash it too much).
Ta-da !
Well, that’s it. In Poland, Bigos usually goes with sourdough bread or with boiled potatoes. With bread, I like to toast it a bit, so the crusty texture of bread contradicts the mellow softness of the stew. The effect may be as interesting as on that picture. I have called that one “Nostalgia” but cheer up it is only some food from a jar 😉.
