A festive layered stew of chicken, beef, sauerkraut, rice, and Bulgarian sausage (sudzhuk), slowly baked in a sealed clay pot for hours. The centerpiece of the Bulgarian Christmas Day table.
Ingredients
500g chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks)
300g beef chuck, cubed
500g sauerkraut, drained
200g rice
2 large onions, sliced
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
4 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt to taste
500ml chicken broth
Instructions
1Rinse sauerkraut if very salty. Layer half on the bottom of a large clay pot or Dutch oven.
2Season chicken and beef with salt, pepper, and paprika. Arrange meat pieces over the sauerkraut layer.
3Spread sliced onions over the meat, then scatter rice evenly on top.
4Add bay leaves and thyme. Cover with the remaining sauerkraut.
5Pour chicken broth over everything until liquid reaches just below the top layer. Cover tightly with foil, then the lid.
6Bake at 160C for 3-3.5 hours without opening the pot. The sealed slow cooking melds all the flavors together. Serve directly from the pot.
Did You Know?
Tradition dictates that once the kapama pot is sealed and placed in the oven, it must not be opened until serving time, or the magic of the slow cooking is broken.