Modern Choucroute for a Crowd

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the kale until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Squeeze the kale dry and chop coarsely.

In a large deep casserole, heat the olive oil. Add the carrots and onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Add the kale and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add the sauerkraut, juniper and caraway and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Generously butter a roasting pan and arrange the pork chops in a single layer. Spread the sauerkraut mixture over the chops and tuck in the white and garlic sausages. Pour the Riesling over all and cover tightly with foil. Bake the choucroute for about 2 hours, or until piping hot throughout. Serve at once.