Baked red cabbage
Snow started falling as I started cooking this, which is pretty fitting. It’s gently spiced, slightly sticky, sweeter than it should be and unctuous is exactly the right way. Apart from the chopping it’s dead easy (red cabbages are hard and you’ll need a very sharp knife). It was also a chance to christen my new Le Creuset Classic Cast Iron Round Casserole Dish (£100 off in an Amazon sale!). It does really well with roasted meats, sausages or (my guilty pleasure) eaten cold front he pan with a pan just before bed.
You will need
- A red cabbage
- An apple or two
- A cup full of balsamic vinegar
- A heaped tablespoon of crystalized ginger*
- A heaped desert spoonful or so of sugar
- An onion about a third of the width of the cabbage
- A knob of butter
I think a single clove would also have been good, also a tiny bit of star anise. Next time…
Do
- Put the oven on at 186 or so.
- Slice the onions and fry in the butter until translucent. Do the rest of the prep whilst they are frying.
- Slice the cabbage. It’s easiest to quarter the cabbage, remove the solid hunk at the base of each quarter and then slice 3 to 5mm wide pieces.
- Core and slice the apple
- Dice the stem ginger into fine dice
- Once the onions have softened add all the rest of the ingredients, turn up the heat and give everything a god stir. All you’re doing here is making sure the liquid is bubbling before you put it all in the oven.
- Bake with a lid on for about an hour. Check periodically, stir, add some hot water if it’s feeling dry. You’re aiming for about an inch of liquid in the bottom.
Results
Seen here with [G&S Organics sausages](https://www.thechristmasfarm.co.uk/, roast potatoes and trimmings (on my ETE. Wintertastic.
*The ginger comes from my German collegue who discovered I loved ginger gummy bears in Slack on day and FedExs be this amazing crystalised ginger from German where it is apparently a common snack. Sometimes working for a big company has it’s advantages.