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Rich & Aromatic Braised Red Cabbage

raw red cabbage

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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).
  3. 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.

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IKEA OUMBÄRLIG Stockpot with lid – Reviewed

SKU / Part / Article Number: 002.864.13

One of those buys that we do not regret. Used frequently, always appreciated and built to last a while. So read this ikea oumbärlig review if your not convinced.

IKEA Cookware, I feel, is largely underrated, generally well priced and performs as you would expect for a long time. For example I have a heavily used and abused large IKEA Sauté pan, approx 24cm, that I’ve had for several years and is my go to for steaks and starting roasts. This pan was also the same pan I roasted a 2.3KG beef fore rib for Christmas in, with perfect results! It takes heat incredibly well, you can get it ripping hot to make the most amazing crust on any steak (there’s an article there somewhere on steaks…)

The pan is so versatile and resilient even though I have certainly tried my best to harm it, including washing it in dishwashers, searing steaks, flambe, de-glazing it without using gentle utensils and even using it on a Weber Smokey Joe with white hot lumpwood! So surely the rest of the range is good?

Since moving in with the better half we have become accustomed to batch cooking, now this may sound boring or laborious but when you are trying to save for a house with a mahoosive professional kitchen (one dreams..) then you need to be frugal, but we refuse to suffer. So to get by we will make large batches for lunch at work or sides to reheat later in the coming weeks (ready to go from the freezer), think soups or our recipe for Braised Red Cabbage.

The stock pot will hold a heady 10 Litres of what ever you’d like whether or not its on the hob or directly in the oven. It is suitable for all types of cookers including induction and the base gives a good even heat across its width so it can also be used to brown meats prior to stewing without fault. As standard the OUMBÄRLIG stock pot comes with a lid with built in steam vent which I encourage its use as it requires so little energy to simmer with it in place. It’s simple to clean as its made from brushed stainless steel and has no crevices to hide dirt. It is also very good value and unlike some others can also go in the oven.

It is a bit of a bargain at £20 when comparing it to other brands especially with its availability being so high and easily obtainable from IKEA directly. We use it so often for soups, stews and batch cooks that it is now invaluable for saving money and making healthy work lunches.

A sturdy solid performer, 9/10.

Key Features & Specifications:

  • Height: 19 cm
  • Diameter: 30 cm
  • Volume: 10 l
  • Weight: 1.85 kg
  • Dishwasher-safe.
  • Suitable for use on induction hob.
  • Suitable for use on gas hob.
  • Suitable for use on glass ceramic hob.
  • Suitable for use on cast iron hob.
  • Oven-Safe.
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Magnificently Malty Malt Loaf

A British classic (actually Scottish… thanks to Mr Montgomerie!), Malt Loaf is a perfect pick-me-up for those in a rush or something indulgent with a cup of tea as a snack in the afternoon at your desk. This recipe will produce a loaf that is less chewy but more fruit laden than the supermarket variety but still packing a malty sweet punch. The dried fruit should be soaked in a strong black tea adding richness and a little mixed spice for background. Serve preferably with butter after being partially toasted, as the loaf holds a fair amount of moisture giving it the most amazing texture. Also enjoyable cold!

Personally I’d rather go for a larger loaf versus the usual 450 Gram loaf tin (small AKA 1lb loaf tin) as for convenience I will slice this larger loaf into 12 slices and then freeze for lunches (this also works out to around 220 calories a piece, not too bad for a mid afternoon snack I suppose!).

Ingredients List:

  • 2 Eggs, beaten.
  • 250G Plain Flour.
  • 85G Light brown sugar.
  • 1/2 Tsp mixed spice, you can omit this or even substitute with freshly grated nutmeg!
  • 175G Malt Extract.
  • 150ml Hot Black Tea.
  • 300G Dried fruit, sultanas work well.
  • 0.75 Tsp baking powder.
  • 0.5 Tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda.

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 2 (130C for fan assisted ovens), then grease and line a 900G (2lb) loaf tin. You can usually get away with lining the base only, with good non-stick coated tins.
  2. Brew and measure out your tea and combine with the dried fruit and mixed spice, let infuse for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the sugar, malt extract and eggs whilst mixing well. Add the flour as well as the bicarbonate of soda and baking powder, quickly stir before finally pouring into the loaf tin.
  4. Bake for around 1 hour, checking it around the 45 to 50 minute mark. Once cooked (using a skewer to check) let cool before removing from the tin. Serve the malt loaf sliced then toasted and buttered with a suitable cup of tea.