Sauerkraut Gratin

So, what to do with all that homemade sauerkraut?  Ask Chef Gaby! After trying my homemade sauerkraut and declaring it was the best she had ever had she emailed me this recipe. A modified version of Paul Grimm's version.

Sauerkraut Gratin

1 leek, finely chopped (I used 1/4 cup finely chopped onion)
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed (I used my spice grinder)
4 Tablespoons salted butter
2 pounds sauerkraut, drained and chopped (I used 2 quart jars full of mostly drained fresh kraut)
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
4 large eggs
salt and white Pepper
3/4 cup Panko crumbs

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and cook the onion until translucent. Add the juniper and the bay leaf followed by the kraut. Cook down until the kraut is hot. While that cooks, combine the cream, milk, eggs and season with salt and pepper.

Remove bay leaf and transfer the kraut mix into a 9x13"baking dish. 

Pour over the custard mix. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. **

Meanwhile melt the remaining butter and toss with panko crumbs.

Sprinkle crumbs on top and baked an additional 15 minutes until the crumbs are golden brown and the gratin doesn't jiggle when wiggled.

**The recipe called for putting the buttered Panko crumbs on at the beginning of the cooking time but I was afraid it might burn so I added them later.