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It is said that food preference evolves with age and we can learn to love a food that we did not like previously. Or, we could learn to appreciate a taste in finer detail. I find that as I made the change to clean eating, it is as though a veil previously covering my taste buds had been drawn away. Do you feel the same thing has happened to you? Now, I am able to taste more keenly than previously, and appreciate flavours that I did not fancy that much before starting on the AIP.
One such taste is for sour foods. I wasn’t a fan of sour foods growing up, but now I think I am pretty partial to sour foods, be it paired with complementary sweet or savoury ingredients. I’m glad to see that my own kids are pretty open to sour foods (so far). My elder son relishes vinegar, and would occasionally wander into the kitchen, asking for a taste of balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar. I certainly didn’t do that at his age, I’d think! So a dish that is totally matching both sour and savoury taste profiles is this pressure cooker turkey, with cranberries and sauerkraut. Cooked in the Instant Pot, I love how easy it is to simply layer the ingredients into the inner pot, set it to cook and leave it to do its job.
The sauerkraut is a classic ‘choucroute au vin’ or wine sauerkraut that I got from a local sausage specialty store and is really amazing when cooked in a stew with meat. You should be able to get the equivalent at your local sausage shop, or if not, check out German or international grocery stores. The turkey ends up really tender and flavoursome, paired with the sweet plump raisins, tangy cranberries and comforting sauerkraut. Preserved lemon adds a certain complexity to the dish without overwhelming the ensemble. When cooking this dish, try to use the same parts rather than mixing different parts due to varying cooking times. Not being a fan of white meat, I’ve stuck mainly to turkey wings or thighs. I think it makes for a tastier dish without dried-out meat!
Do you like cooking with cranberries?
- 2 cups sauerkraut, drained
- ¼ cup raisins
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed, and roughly chopped
- 3 - 4 lbs (1.5 - 2kg) turkey wings or thighs
- 1.5 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, divided
- 1 small preserved lemon, chopped and seeds removed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tbsp dried parsley flakes
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup apple cider (non-alcoholic hard cider)
- 1 tsp arrowroot flour
- 2 tsp water
- INSTANT POT METHOD
- Place the sauerkraut at the bottom of the pot, then scatter the raisins and garlic over evenly
- Place the turkey parts in the pot
- Sprinkle 1 cup cranberries and preserved lemon over the turkey parts
- In a bowl, combine the ground cinnamon, parsley flakes, thyme, sea salt and apple cider and pour into the pot
- Seal the lid of the pressure cooker (set the valve to 'sealing') and select 'poultry' setting for 25- 30 minutes (depending on the size of the turkey parts used)
- Once the cooking time is over, release the pressure naturally
- Preheat the oven broiler in the meantime
- Remove the turkey pieces from the pot and place them in an oven proof casserole, then broil for around 5 minutes until browned to your liking
- Set the Instant Pot to 'saute' setting, then add in another ½ cup of cranberries
- Prepare the arrowroot flour slurry by combining the arrowroot flour with water
- Once the sauce begins to simmer, stir in the slurry, then allow the sauce to simmer until thickened
- Turn off the Instant Pot and serve the cranberry and sauerkraut sauce with the browned turkey parts