Delia Smith's Traditional Braised Red Cabbage with Apples

  • 10

Ingredients

  • 2 lb (1 kg) red cabbage
  • 1 lb (450 g) cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped small
  • 1 lb (450 g) onions, chopped small
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped very small
  • 1/4 whole nutmeg, freshly grated
  • 1/4 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 level teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3 level tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons wine vinegar
  • 1/2 oz (15 g) butter
  • salt and freshly milled black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 2, 300°F (150°C).

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.

Delia likes to freeze two thirds of this to serve 8 on New Year’s Eve and serve the rest on Christmas Eve as an accompaniment to roast gammon. It’s great because it can be made the day before and gently reheated