Not just a side dish, here sauerkraut is the star of the show!

Paired with cheese, sauerkraut adds a welcome break from the richness, and provides a lighter, yet equally filling meal.

(Have you ever tried cheese fondue with sauerkraut? It’s perfection.)

It also works well to add some bulk to a typical Chäswähe, and helps get some vegetables in there too—you don’t even need to prepare it—you can add it straight from the bag, jar or can.

My go-to Sauerkraut is the wonderful Swiss brand Schöni, and the filling for this recipe is based on theirs too. They have been making sauerkraut since 1920 and are still a family business, now in the 4th generation. Their sauerkraut is excellent and available throughout Switzerland (I get mine at the Coop and Landi), and they have other products as well, like beet salad, red cabbage, apple sauce, kimchi, and my all-time favourite the BBQ Kraut Chili that is amazing on hot dogs (or just by the forkful).

Dough:

200 g flour

pinch of salt

80 g butter, cold

125 ml water, cold

Filling:

3 tbsp breadcrumbs

400-500 g Sauerkraut, cooked

300 g hard cheese, grated

2 eggs

100 g crème fraîche or sour cream

200 ml milk or cream

nutmeg, salt and pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

Add the cold butter in pieces and rub into the flour mixture with your fingers until you have small flakes.

Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the water. Mix this gently until a dough forms. Try not to overwork the dough or it will become tough.

Press the dough into a disc, wrap, and let cool in the fridge for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F / gas mark 6.

Roll out your dough and line a 26 cm (10 inch) round tart pan. Lightly poke the bottom of the dough all over with a fork and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Filling:

Drain the sauerkraut slightly, or pat dry with a paper towel. It can still be a bit wet, just not dripping.

Mix together the sauerkraut and cheese, then add to the tart base, distributing evenly.

Whisk together the eggs, sour cream/crème fraîche, milk, and seasonings, then pour this mixture into the tart pan.

Bake in the bottom part of the oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until the tart is nicely browned.

• If you don’t have sour cream, you can replace with more milk or cream.

• Bacon can be a nice addition—if you like, add about 150-200 g.