Red Cabbage - Stir-fried or Braised
Depending on the time you have or the mood you are in, red cabbage is versatile enough to cook several ways (or eat raw of course!).
Stir-fried - quick and crunchy as a meal in itself with crumbled feta or blue cheese and nuts or as a side.
Braised and you can make in advance and reheat.
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins (stir-fried) or 1 hour (braised)
Serves: 4-6
Braised: Ingredients
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1kg cored and finely sliced red cabbage
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75g butter or oil
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3 apples peeled, cored and diced
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½ tsp caraway or cumin seeds
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I large onion – preferably red
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4 tbsp red wine vinegar
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Optional: 250g defrosted red berries
Method
Melt the butter or heat the oil in a pan.
Add apples and spices and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in onion and cabbage
Add red wine vinegar stir through and cook over a gentle heat for about 40 minutes
If using berries, add them in now bringing the heat up until all the juice evaporates.
Stir-fried: Ingredients
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½ red cabbage cored and finely chopped
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Walnut, olive oil or sunflower oil
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1 red onion thinly sliced
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2 tsps thyme
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1 tbsp red wine vinegar
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50 g walnuts roughly chopped and toasted
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100g blue cheese or feta
Method
Heat the oil in a wok or pan, fry the onion and cabbage until cooked but still crunchy
Add in thyme, vinegar, season to taste and toss.
Transfer to the serving plate and sprinkle with toasted walnuts and crumbled cheese.
Wines
The earthy flavours of cabbage go so well with red wines, perhaps with a little bottle age that allows more aromatic complexity to develop. Sprinkling on some toasted nuts goes really well with red wines with a touch of oak - reinforcing those warm toasted notes. If you're using blue cheese surprise your guests and contrast with a sweet white wine, the fresh acidity and caramel sweetness will make it special and all the more festive. Plus if you have some sweet wine left over from a previous feast, then a great way to have a single glass and not waste it!