Braised Red Cabbage

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Braised red cabbage is really very easy to make and a lovely accompaniment to autumn and winter meals and holiday feasts.The vibrant reddish purple hues of the cabbage add cheerful colour to any meal, even when outside may be grey and bleak.

But braised red cabbage is not just for Thanksgiving or Christmas! Red cabbage typically starts appearing in food markets here in late September, so you can enjoy it throughout autumn and in the run up to the holidays. In fact, you should get your hands on red cabbage whilst you can, as it is far more nutritious than its green cousin - make it your new favourite superfood!

The sweet and sour flavours of the braised red cabbage recipe below come from the Bramley apple and red wine vinegar, their acidity balanced by muscovado sugar and some red currant jelly stirred in after cooking to add a hint of sweetness. If you can't find Bramley apples where you are, any variety of cooking apple will work just as well.

Braised red cabbage is a versatile dish that goes well with most meats such as pork, chicken or turkey - enjoy it warm, at room temperature or even cold. It also pairs nicely with cold meats, so if you haven't quite managed to finish your Christmas lunch, rest assured that the leftovers will still taste great the next day.

Store braised red cabbage in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze in an airtight container for up to three months.

Here's what you'll need to make this braised red cabbage:
(Click here to jump straight to the recipe)

1 medium (~600g) head of red cabbage
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, pressed
1 large Bramley (or other cooking) apple (~200g), peeled and finely chopped
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp light muscovado sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
12g butter, cut into small cubes
1-2 Tbsp red currant jelly

And here's what you'll need to do:

• Preheat the oven to 180C (355F) / 160C.
• Rinse the cabbage, and cut it in half. Remove the tough stalk, and slice the cabbage very finely. Set it aside until needed.

• Prepare the garlic, onion and apple.
• Gather the spices in a small dish and mix together.
• Cut the butter into small cubes, and gather the muscovado sugar and red wine vinegar.

• In an oven proof pot with lid, place a third of the sliced cabbage in the base.
• Layer with half of the garlic, onion, apple, spices, sugar and vinegar.
• Repeat one more time, and finish with the last third of sliced cabbage on top, dotted with the cubes of butter.
• Cover and bake in the preheated oven for two hours, removing every half hour or so to stir everything together.

• When the cabbage is nicely tender, remove it from the oven, and stir through the red currant jelly before serving.

Braised Red Cabbage

By Wendy | Serves 4

Braised red cabbage is vibrant, tasty and the perfect accompaniment to roast meats and holiday feasts.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
Serves: 6-8, as a side
Course: Side, Vegetable
Cuisine: Modern European
Tags: Red Cabbage, Side Dish

Ingredients

1 medium (~600g) head of red cabbage
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, pressed
1 large Bramley (or other cooking) apple (~200g), peeled and finely chopped
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp light muscovado sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
12g butter, cut into small cubes
1-2 Tbsp red currant jelly

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (355F) / 160C.
2. Rinse the cabbage, and cut it in half. Remove the tough stalk, and slice the cabbage very finely. Set it aside until needed.
3. Prepare the garlic, onion and apple.
4. Gather the spices in a small dish and mix together.
5. Cut the butter into small cubes, and gather the muscovado sugar and red wine vinegar.
6. In an oven proof pot with lid, place a third of the sliced cabbage in the base.
7. Layer with half of the garlic, onion, apple, spices, sugar and vinegar.
8. Repeat one more time, and finish with the last third of sliced cabbage on top, dotted with the cubes of butter.
9. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for two hours, removing every half hour or so to stir everything together.
10. When the cabbage is nicely tender, remove it from the oven, and stir through the red currant jelly before serving.

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