I have a long-held love for all forms of cabbage, but this time of year red cabbage feels particularly essential. And although it belongs to the wider cabbage family, it’s very much its own vegetable – it doesn’t lend itself to being substituted in place of other seasonal greens. It needs to be treated differently to get the best out of it.
Fortunately, those ways of preparing red cabbage are very simple indeed. Aside from being finely chopped and thrown in a coleslaw, there are really only two ways to serve red cabbage that you need to know about. Both are very easy, make-ahead and versatile. What are you waiting for!?
Braised Red Cabbage
A Christmas dinner staple, this festive side dish is also perfect for serving alongside savoury pies or a Christmas ham. It’s best made a couple days ahead (perfect for easing seasonal stress) and it even freezes well. I follow Delia’s recipe faithfully and it’s never steered me wrong. I’ve included a slightly abridged version here.
Ingredients
1/4 tsp each ground nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 red cabbage (about 1kg)
450g apples, peeled and chopped
450g red onions, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp butter
Method:
In a small bowl stir together the nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and brown sugar.
Finely slice the cabbage, discarding the tough outer leaves and the hard core. In a large heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, layer up with a third each of the cabbage, apples, onions, garlic, and sugary spice mixture with lots of salt and pepper. Repeat until everything is in. (The layering process just means you don’t have to stir this huge pot of veg before it goes in to cook.) Add the vinegar and dot over the butter. Pop on the lid and bake in the oven at 300F/150C/140C Fan for two and a half hours, stirring at around the halfway mark. Easy.
Quick Pickled Red Cabbage
A total game changer. I bought jarred pickled red cabbage for years before I realised how easy (and cheap!) it is to make. No boiling pickling liquid, sterilising of jars or patience required.
Obviously serve with falafel or any kind of kebab, but it also makes a surprising accompaniment to more elegant fare. Try it with roast pork and crackling, or a fat juicy pork chop served with applesauce. The acid in the pickled cabbage cuts through the rich meat beautifully.
Ingredients
1/4 of a red cabbage
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp flaked sea salt (or 1 tsp fine salt)
1 tbsp sugar
Method:
Remove any tough outer leaves, then finely slice the red cabbage and discard the core. Place the sliced cabbage into a large bowl. Pour over the vinegar, then add the salt and sugar. Use your hands to really scrunch and massage the salt and sugar into the cabbage. Let stand for at least 15 minutes, though this will keep in the fridge for over a week.
Caroline Feeds 