Cabbage, beans, and millet: a traditional Polish Christmas dish

Directions

1. Rinse the beans and cover them with cold water. Let them soak, ideally overnight. ⏱ 8 hr
2. Cook the beans in their soaking water, lightly salted, until they are tender. Drain and set aside. ⏱ ≈ 10 min
3. To reduce the acidity, briefly boil the sauerkraut, drain it, and then rinse it with cold water. ⏱ ≈ 10 min
4. Place the sauerkraut in a pot and cook it over low heat until it begins to soften. ⏱ ≈ 40 min
5. Rinse the millet with cold water. Once the sauerkraut is almost cooked, spread it in a layer on top. Cook over very low heat, without stirring, until the millet bursts and becomes tender: it absorbs the liquid and cooks in the steam. ⏱ ≈ 10 min
6. Dice the onion and sauté it in the butter or chosen fat until it becomes translucent. ≈ 8 min
7. Add cooked beans and chopped onion (with its rendered fat) to the millet and sauerkraut. Mix thoroughly without further cooking. ⏱ ≈ 10 min
8. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Serve the next day, preferably warmed up. ⏱ 12 hr