Bigus with duck
Nowadays bigos is mostly made with pork or chicken, but in the past game meat was often used, giving bigos a special flavor and aroma. So if you'd like to prepare a truly royal dish and happen to have a fresh duck, I'll gladly tell you how to make bigos with duck. Here I offer you the simplest version, but if you'd like to add more variety, feel free to include mushrooms, smoked meats, or prunes. Essentially, there are no strict rules for this simple duck bigos recipe, and you can always adjust it to your taste preferences.
1) First, cut the duck into small portion-sized pieces and thoroughly rinse them. Heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or pot, add a whole peeled onion, and fry over high heat until it turns brown. Then discard the onion, place the duck pieces into the pot, and sear them on all sides until golden brown.
2) While the duck is browning, prepare the vegetables: slice the second onion into half-rings, cut the potatoes into small cubes, and shred the fresh cabbage.
3) Once the duck is seared, transfer it with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the sauerkraut (previously squeezed to remove excess juice) to the skillet and sauté, stirring, until golden. Then transfer the sauerkraut with a slotted spoon to a separate plate.
4) Next, add the chopped onion to the pot and fry until golden. Then return the seared duck and sauerkraut to the pot. Add tomato paste diluted with water (½ cup), mix everything, season with salt, cover the pot, and simmer the duck and sauerkraut over low heat for 40–50 minutes.
5) Once the meat is tender and starts falling off the bones, add the cubed potatoes, followed by the fresh cabbage. Pour in the remaining water, add black peppercorns and bay leaf, season the bigos with salt and spices. Stir all ingredients, cover the pot again, and continue simmering for another 35–40 minutes over low heat.
6) When the time is up, turn off the heat but leave the lid on for another 15 minutes to let the dish rest. Ideally, allow the finished bigos to cool completely, then reheat it before serving with sour cream or bread. However, it's not always easy to wait that long, so you can also serve and enjoy the bigos immediately while it's still hot.
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