Ellen’s Sweet and sour red cabbage

At holiday time, everyone always requested that Ellen make and bring her fabulous sweet and sour red cabbage. It’s a popular dish to serve with hearty roast meats and poultry. Many people make this dish in 30 minutes, leaving the cabbage with a bit of crispness. Nothing wrong with that. But she let it cook long, low, and slow, until it was downright jammy. The splash of balsamic vinegar at the end is a must! This dish gets even better upon standing.

Make it the day before if you can. It stays for at least a week in the fridge.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1 medium red cabbage (about 3 pounds)

1 large onion

2 tart apples such as granny smith, peeled, cored, and grated

1/3 cup brown sugar (adjust according to taste)

1/3 cup raw apple cider vinegar

1 bay leaf

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

3 juniper berries

1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)

¼ cup water

a splash of balsamic vinegar

kosher salt

a few twists of the pepper mill

Method: 

Remove and discard tough outer leaves from cabbage. Shred cabbage very finely.

Peel the onion and slice it thinly.

Warm the oil or butter in a Dutch oven. Sauté the onion until golden.

Add the sugar and stir it into the onions for a minute or two, until well incorporated.

Add the cabbage and apple with a sprinkle of salt and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add apple cider vinegar, water, spices, a few grinds of the pepper mill, and the caraway seeds if using.

Simmer gently, covered, for 2—3 hours, or until cabbage is very tender. Check it often, give it a stir, and make sure it isn’t drying out on the bottom. Add a splash of water to keep it from scorching. occasionally, and if necessary, add a little hot water to prevent scorching.

Add a generous splash of balsamic vinegar and stir it in, then taste and adjust the flavors to your liking. Add more sugar, salt, and/or vinegar as needed. Cook for a few minutes more to incorporate your adjustments.

Did you make it? Was it fabulous?