Recipes from the Twit Army Mess Hall - Sausage in Spiced Sauerkraut

Ingredients:
6 smoked bacon slices, cut into 2-inch-wide strips.
Thick cut is better but regular cut will do. Don't use the apple smoked bacon, it's usually too sweet to work with this dish.
1 large onion, sliced
1 carrot, chopped
1 2-pound jar sauerkraut, rinsed, drained well
2 cups dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
4 juniper berries, crushed, or 1 tablespoon gin
1 1/2 pounds assorted sausages (brats, knockwurst, kielbasa etc.), cut into 3-inch lengths

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 300°F. Place bacon, onion and carrot in heavy large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sauté until onion is tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from sauerkraut (I put it in a colander and let it drain in the sink for about 2 hours rinsing frequently to remove the saltiness). Add sauerkraut to Dutch oven. Add wine, stock, caraway seeds and juniper berries. Bring to simmer. Cover tightly, place in oven and bake 1 hour.
Add sausage to Dutch oven, pushing into sauerkraut. Cover and bake 1 hour (n.b. knockwurst is done when the skins split, that's why it's called knockwurst the 'knocking' sound it makes when the skins split). Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring frequently.)

Serves 4
A good potluck or outdoor cookout meal if you have a way to hang the pot over a fire or on the BBQ to rewarm.