Piquant pickled aromatic braised red cabbage, that certainly caught my attention whilst trying to think of something to make to accompany some left over roast Duck. More than ideal to go with left over cold cuts or roasted meats like Pork Belly or Shoulder (along with potatoes, roasted or dauphinoise!). This a very flexible recipe as you can add or exchange ingredients to make it your own should you prefer a twist or something a little more tame. This recipe is somewhat inspired by my father who would make an obscene quantity of this slow cooked creation filling the tiny family home kitchen with an intoxicating smell!
Some people generally seem to link spiced red cabbage with Christmas, however make no mistake this is a dish that works through autumn and winter. Winter spices, acidic smells and a lingering peppery background will warm you through. It lends its self well to feeding a crowd or freezing portions for another day.
Braising is just a way of saying that something is partially sautéed or lightly fried then gently stewed. There will be a fair amount of liquid at the start however this will reduce down, along with the rest of the ingredients, into a luxurious syrupy sauce taking on a shine and coating the cabbage.
Talk is cheap, as is this filling side. Lets cook…
Ingredients List:
- 2 Small or 1 V.Large Red Cabbage, shredded.
- 4 Small or 2 large Ganny Smith apples, peeled and cored then diced.
- 2 Medium Onions, diced.
- 2 Cloves of Garlic, smashed and finely chopped.
- 2 Star of Anise.
- 10 Cloves.
- 2 Knobs of Butter (approx 30G).
- Vegetable oil.
- 3 Tbsp Soft Brown Sugar.
- 150ml Vinegar: Balsamic, Malt, Red Wine or 500ml sharp Cider.
- 1/4 Tsp Freshly grated Nutmeg.
- 200ml Stock: Beef/Chicken/Vegetable.
Method:
- Begin to soften the onion and garlic in a large sauce pan, I normally use our 10L Ikea stock pot, in the butter and oil. Adding the diced apple once they have started to soften then the red cabbage. I prefer the red cabbage shredded fairly consistently however you can prepare this however you’d like.
- As the red cabbage and base ingredients start to sweat (slight shine to the red cabbage) begin to add the aromatics, sugar and liquids. Combine well and allow it to start simmering before placing a lid on top and lowering the heat to gently simmer away unattended (but of course check and mix throughout the cooking process).
- Once the liquor has reduced and slightly thickened its ready to serve, usually I let it sit for 10 minutes or so with the lid on so its not too hot to scoff!
Cooking time may vary and will take around 2 hours to reduce down, however it can go longer or also be cooked in a slow cooker.