Contact

Christmas cabbage in December’s kitchen!

I love the smells of Christmas more than anything else I think – well maybe as much as the tastes! Yesterday I made our braised red cabbage which we always have with our Christmas meal and the smell is just wonderful! The whole house was filled with hints of spices and fruit. It really livens up turkey and goes quite well with sausages too as we found out for last night’s tea!

I’m trying some Raspberry vinegar in the sweet, fruity dish this year to give an extra tang

Braised red cabbage

Christmas Braised Red Cabbage

Serves 6 (with leftovers)

1 red cabbage (about 750g)

2 Bramley apples (about 400g), peeled, cored and finely chopped

50g  butter

1 large onion, finely sliced

1 garlic clove, finely diced

5 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg

Salt and pepper

5 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or replace one spoonful with raspberry vinegar)

Approx 150g of fresh cranberries (optional)

2 tablespoons of cranberry jelly or sauce

 

  • Chop the cabbage into quarters, remove the tough outer leaves then cut out the hard, woody stalk. Shred as finely as you can and put to one side.
  • Melt the butter in a large casserole dish and add the apples, cooing for about 5 minutes until just softening. Add the onions and garlic and cook for another five minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar and the spices. Mix well allowing the flavours to coat the onion mix.
  • Now add in the cabbage, cranberries and vinegar, carefully turning everything well– don’t panic it will probably fill your casserole but it will reduce greatly during cooking!
  • Cover with a tight fitting lid (maybe pop over a layer of tinfoil as well) and cook slowly in the oven 160C(fan 140)/325F/gas3 for about two hours.
  • Stir a good couple of times during cooking until the cabbage is moist and completely tender. Stir in the cranberry jelly.

If you are making this ahead then cool and freeze. Thaw out overnight and microwave for about 5 minutes until piping hot or pop into a medium oven to heat through

Make sure you save enough to go with your cold meats and bubble and squeak on Boxing Day!