Christmas Red Cabbage Recipes

RED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Click away any tatty outer leaves from your cabbage, trim off the base, cut the cabbage into wedges, then finely slice it and put aside.
• Finely slice the bacon and place in a large casserole pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Leave it to crisp up while you peel, core and dice the apples.
• When the bacon is crispy, strip the rosemary leaves into the pan, stir for 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and rosemary to a plate, leaving the smoky bacon fat behind.
• Add the fennel seeds and diced apples to the pan, then tear in the prunes, removing any stones. Stir and fry for 2 minutes, then finely grate in the clementine zest and squeeze in the juice.
• Add the vinegar, cabbage and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
• Cook with a lid ajar on a low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through and a pleasure to eat, stirring well every 5 minutes to help intensify and mix up the flavours.
• Serve sprinkled with the crispy bacon and rosemary leaves.

DANISH RED CABBAGE (RøDKåL)

Steps:

• Step 1: Finely shred the red cabbage and make sure that the pieces are not too long. Put the shredded red cabbage in a large sauce pan.
• Step 2: Pour the vinegar in the sauce pan, turn on the heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir in the cabbage regularly so that it doesn't burn to the bottom of the sauce pan.
• Step 3: Add the juice, sugar and salt to the sauce pan and let it simmer for another 30 minutes or until it has the right consistency. The consistency is basically up to you - the longer you cook it the softer you will get the red cabbage.
• Step 4: Clean some glass jars using boiling water. This will kill all bacteria so that the red cabbage will last longer. Pour the red cabbage onto the jars and seal them right away. Keep the jars refrigerated.

CHRISTMAS RED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Peel off the outer leaves of the cabbage, then cut into quarters and slice out the core. Use a sharp knife or the slicing attachment of a food processor to thinly slice the cabbage.
• Heat the butter in a large saucepan, then tip in the onions and gently fry until softened, about 5 mins. Add the orange zest to the pan along with the cinnamon stick, then cook for 1 min more. Add the shredded cabbage, then pour over the port, red wine vinegar, orange juice and 150ml water. Bring up to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 45 mins-1 hr until the cabbage is softened.

NORWEGIAN CHRISTMAS CABBAGE

Steps:

• Lay two slices of bacon across the bottom of a large pot. Cover with a layer of cabbage. Sprinkle a light dusting of flour and a pinch of caraway seed. Season with a little salt and pepper. Repeat layering as many times as possible until you run out of room.
• Fill the pot with enough water to come about 3/4 up the side. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the cabbage is soft, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly, then stir in the vinegar and sugar. Use your own judgment. Add sugar carefully to taste. The idea is to strike a balance between the sweet and the sour, and therein lies the trick.

DANISH CHRISTMAS RED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Place the cabbage in a large saucepan, and stir in the sugar, vinegar, salt and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium heat for 1 hour. This can be served immediately, or chilled and reheated later in smaller portions.

TRADITIONAL BRAISED RED CABBAGE WITH APPLES

Steps:

• First discard the tough outer leaves of the cabbage, cut it into quarters and remove the hard stalk. Then shred the rest of the cabbage finely, using your sharpest knife (although you can shred it in a food processor, I prefer to do it by hand: it doesn't come out so uniform). Next, in a fairly large casserole, arrange a layer of shredded cabbage seasoned with salt and pepper, then a layer of chopped onions and apples with a sprinkling of garlic, spices and sugar. Continue with these alternate layers until everything is in. Now pour in the wine vinegar, lastly add dots of butter on the top. Put a tight lid on the casserole and let it cook very slowly in the oven for 2-2½ hours, stirring everything around once or twice during the cooking. Red cabbage, once cooked, will keep warm without coming to any harm, and it will also re-heat very successfully. And, yes, it does freeze well so, all in all, it's a real winner of a recipe.