Cleaning Silver - and Choucroute Garnie

Cleaning silver is a bit of a nightmare. Bought some new stuff which you just put in the washing up bowl and pour boiling water on the silver and leave for five minutes. Not brilliant, so cleaned some more things in silver dip which was a bit better, but still not perfect so may have to actually polish a few things. Silver dip works brilliantly for plate, though, and some silver, so my enormous plate candlesticks look fantastic.

Rang Julian to offer some sauerkraut for dinner but they didn't fancy sauerkraut tonight.

I always make it by frying some onions in goose fat and with some bacon bits or lumps of pancetta then add a large amount of sauerkraut with water, chicken stock, peppercorns, bay leaf, garlic and a large slug of gin, or some juniper berries - the gin is more instant.

I chuck in some meat and/or some sausages such as kabanos or similar, frankfurters will do - any meat really - pork, chicken, ham, lamb, even beef if nothing else available - and slowly simmer for a fair old time, though it can be served quite quickly if the meat is already cooked.

I prefer a longish (1hr) slow simmer, then serve with mash or new or old potatoes and beer or lager to drink.

Well, I think it is good but our coach driver on Wednesday had it for the first time in Paris and said it was really harsh and the most revolting thing he had eaten. It is true that the French tend to eat it in a salty state, but the Germans cook it for a long time, sometimes rinsing it to get rid of most of the salt first, and adding white wine and chicken stock, which does civilise it a bit. But I suspect the coach driver will never like it having had such a bad first impression. I quite like the French version, but then I tasted it at a younger age.