Braised red cabbage is a relatively recent addition to my Christmas dinner, a contribution from the Scottish branch of the family, though I can’t find evidence it’s any more common in Scotland. Sweet and sour and festively spiced, it’s a long-standing favourite with richer meats such as goose, duck or pork, but, truth be told, its bold flavour makes it a hit on most winter menus.
Braised red cabbage
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 20 min
Serves 6-8
1 red cabbage
50g butter, or plant-based alternative, plus extra to serve
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 sharp eating apple
¼ tsp ground cloves (ie, about 6 cloves’ worth)
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
3 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
150ml balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp cranberry sauce
Salt and pepper
1 A note on the onion
I like to use a red onion here, because it echoes the sweetness of the cabbage, but a standard brown one would be just fine, and a couple of long banana shallots even better (use four shallots if you can find only the smaller round variety, bearing in mind that the latter will catch and burn more easily).
2 A note of caution
Put the cabbage stem side down on a board; if it’s been trimmed unevenly and is wobbly on the board, level the base before cutting – no one needs a trip to A&E at this time of year. Holding the cabbage steady, use a heavy knife or cleaver to cut it in half through the stem.
3 Prep the cabbage
Cut out most of the hard white inner core (a small knife might be helpful here) and put it in the compost bin or keep in the fridge or somewhere cool to be cut into crunchy little matchsticks or cubes to add to salads, soups or gratins. Roughly cut the remaining cabbage into largeish irregular chunks.
4 Sweat the onion
Melt the butter in a large pan on a medium-low heat, then add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t brown or burn, until softened but not coloured. Meanwhile, peel, quarter, core and finely dice the apple – a fairly sharp one, such as a granny smith, is ideal here. Avoid cooking apples, unless they’re your only option, because they break down when heated.
5 Now for the spices
Prepare the spices, grinding the cloves and nutmeg, if necessary; substitute a half-teaspoon of ground cinnamon for the stick, if you prefer. Once the onion is soft, add the spices to the pan and stir for a minute or so, until fragrant. Tip in the cabbage chunks and toss until the cabbage pieces are shiny and well coated with the spiced butter.
6 Add the apple, sugar and vinegar
Add the diced apple, sugar (or use light soft brown sugar or demerara, instead, if you prefer, or, though the flavour will be different, another sweetener such as white sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc) and vinegar (cider or wine vinegars could be used instead, but you may like slightly to increase the sugar in consequence).
7 Cover and braise slowly
Stir well, turn down the heat to low, then cover the pan tightly and leave to cook for 45 minutes, giving it the occasional stir or shake to ensure the cabbage doesn’t catch and burn. Stir in the cranberry sauce (or redcurrant jelly or just about any fruity condiment that would work well with savoury foods – ie, not strawberry jam), cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 25 minutes.
8 Season and add butter
Season the cabbage to taste, then add an extra knob of butter to the pan. Leave to melt, then toss to combine. Keep the cabbage warm until you’re ready to serve, being careful it doesn’t dry out. Alternatively, season, then take off the heat, leave to cool and store somewhere cold for up to 48 hours, adding the butter only when reheating.
9 Serve or freeze
Though this dish is best served freshly made, or at least after only a couple of days, if you’d like to get ahead, it does freeze well. Defrost in the fridge, then reheat in a covered pan over a gentle flame until piping hot, stirring occasionally, or cover and microwave for about three minutes, stirring once halfway through.
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