Kolozsvar Layered Sauerkraut Casserole

A festive, layered cabbage dish of Transylvanian cooking – the smoky, paprika flavours come together in slow baking.

1. Pre-cook the rice half-firm in plenty of salted water, then strain it. Rinse the sauerkraut – if very sour – and squeeze it out well.

2. Chop the onion finely, and in the lard, over a medium heat, sweat it glassy. Sprinkle over the crushed garlic, then after a brief frying take it off the heat, and stir in the paprika (so it does not burn).

3. Add the diced pork shoulder, salt and pepper it, and in its own juices, under a lid, braise it tender.

4. Grease a baking tray or ovenproof dish, and start layering: cabbage on the bottom, rice on top, then the meat ragout and sliced sausage – repeat the layers while the ingredients last, with cabbage on top.

5. Spoon sour cream here and there between the layers, spread the top with the remaining sour cream, and sprinkle over the diced bacon.

6. In a preheated 180 °C oven bake it (about 40-50 minutes) until the top browns nicely and the bacon renders.

7. Before serving rest it for 10 minutes, so it can be sliced.

Tip: Reheated the next day the flavours come together even better – many think it is at its best then.