Braised Red Cabbage

 I picked up a red cabbage really cheap at the store the other day.  It was marked as a second.  I don't know why as there didn't appear to be anything wrong with it, but it was roughly half the price of the ordinary ones.   I don't mind seconds in most things . . . and certainly not in a cabbage which I am going to braise.

I had been craving braised red cabbage for a while and thought to have it with some pan grilled sausages and mashed potatoes.   A dinner which would please the Toddster to no end!

This recipe is a culmination of years of testing and trying a variety of braised red cabbage recipes.  I have tried a lot of different ones through the years and this recipe here today is the end result of taking the best bits of each and what worked out the best for me.

The end result is a delicious side dish which is neither too sweet, nor too sour . . . and lightly spiced with a bit of cinnamon, cloves and freshly grated nutmeg.   I like to use brown sugar for that slight molasses quality it lends . . .

I'm also rather lazy when it comes to cooking and I have managed to cut out any pre-wilting of the cabbage.  You simply just cut up your cabbage, onions and apples and layer them in a casserole dish.  The spiced and sweetened vinegar gets poured over top and then the whole thing is baked under a tight cover in a slow oven for a few hours, with the end result being some of the best braised red cabbage you could ever want to eat.  If it's not . . . I'll eat my apron!  (I don't wear a hat!)

*Braised Red Cabbage and Apple*
Makes 6 servings
Printable Recipe
A delicious side dish which goes very well with pork, duck, goose, turkey and venison. Very simple to make.  You just combine all of the ingredients and bake in a tightly covered casserole dish.

1 small head of red cabbage, trimmed, cored and thinly shredded with a sharp knife
(Don't grate it.  You want thin strands.)
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
4 TBS butter
1 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 heaped dessert spoon of red currant jelly
80ml of water (1/3 cup)
80ml of distilled white vinegar (1/3 cup)

Melt the butter.  Whisk in the sugar, water, spices, jelly and vinegar.   Bring to the boil to dissolve sugar and jelly.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. 

Layer the cabbage, onion and apple in a large casserole dish.  Pour the hot mixture of spiced vinegar over top.  Cover tightly.    Roast in the heated oven for one and 3/4 hour to two hours, until the cabbage is wilted and very tender.  Serve warm.  Any leftovers can be gently reheated or frozen for future use.