flipShipboard Sauerkraut, Weapon Against Scurvy
Shipboard Sauerkraut, Weapon Against Scurvy
Why this dish? Enlightenment navigators had understood that fermented cabbage protected against scurvy, the scourge that killed more men than the sea. La Pérouse, a reader of Cook's voyages, loaded these barrels and watched over his men's health—a central concern of his entire expedition.
Salted and fermented cabbage, long braised with pork belly, sausages, juniper berries, and a splash of white wine. Sour and deep, this dish kept for months in barrels and kept gums healthy.
Some will tell me this is German fare, and they'd be right; but I have read Captain Cook's accounts, and I know what this sour cabbage does for the health of crews. I had whole barrels loaded at Brest. See: you rinse it, braise it gently with the pork and juniper, moistened with a little wine, and distribute it to all, from cabin boy to officer. I prefer a man who grimaces at the sourness to a man whose teeth are loosening from scurvy—for that man I lose, and with him an arm for the maneuver.
- •Fermented cabbage (raw sauerkraut, in barrel) — a good ration (antiscorbutic, base)
- •Salt pork and preserved sausage — as available (fat, salt, umami)
- •Juniper berries — a pinch (flavor, digestive)
- •White wine — a cup (moistening, acidity)
- •Fat (lard) — a spoonful (cooking)
Shipboard Sauerkraut, Weapon Against Scurvy
Salted and fermented cabbage, long braised with pork belly, sausages, juniper berries, and a splash of white wine. Sour and deep, this dish kept for months in barrels and kept gums healthy.
Why this dish? Enlightenment navigators had understood that fermented cabbage protected against scurvy, the scourge that killed more men than the sea. La Pérouse, a reader of Cook's voyages, loaded these barrels and watched over his men's health—a central concern of his entire expedition.
Some will tell me this is German fare, and they'd be right; but I have read Captain Cook's accounts, and I know what this sour cabbage does for the health of crews. I had whole barrels loaded at Brest. See: you rinse it, braise it gently with the pork and juniper, moistened with a little wine, and distribute it to all, from cabin boy to officer. I prefer a man who grimaces at the sourness to a man whose teeth are loosening from scurvy—for that man I lose, and with him an arm for the maneuver.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fermented cabbage (raw sauerkraut, in barrel) — a good ration (antiscorbutic, base)
- Salt pork and preserved sausage — as available (fat, salt, umami)
- Juniper berries — a pinch (flavor, digestive)
- White wine — a cup (moistening, acidity)
- Fat (lard) — a spoonful (cooking)
Ingredients
- Raw sauerkraut — 1 kg (fermented base)
- Smoked or half-salt pork belly — 300 g (fat and salt)
- Sausages (Montbéliard or Strasbourg) — 4 (umami)
- Onion — 1 (aromatic)
- Juniper berries — 8 (flavor)
- Dry white wine (e.g., Alsace) — 25 cl (moistening, acidity)
- Lard or goose fat — 1 tbsp (cooking)
Method
- Rinse the raw sauerkraut in cold water and squeeze dry (once or twice depending on desired sourness).
- Melt the fat and sauté the sliced onion until golden.
- Add the sauerkraut, juniper berries, white wine, and pork belly; cover with water to just submerge.
- Cover and braise over low heat for 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Add the sausages for the last 20 minutes.
- Serve hot, with tender sauerkraut and meats on top.
How it was made : Sauerkraut was one of the anti-scurvy weapons of the 18th-century navy, popularized by James Cook's voyages. Fermentation preserves the vitamin C in cabbage, something unknown scientifically but established by experience. The barrels traveled in the hold and were distributed regularly to crews, sometimes by force as the sourness put them off.
The contemporary twist : Deglaze at the end with a splash of very cold white wine just before serving, to revive the bright acidity—a nod to the 'wine from the cask' added on board.
Jean-François de La Pérouse · Charactorium
