Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Red, red cabbage


Braised red cabbage is a delectable side dish, marvelous with meat or fowl or on its own. The trick? Long, slow cooking, and don't get upset with me for saying 4-5 hours in the oven. This is adapted from Julia Child.

In your dutch oven, or similar covered baking dish, add a tablespoon or two of your cooking fat of choice: vegetable oil, lard, chicken or goose fat. Add half a cup diced onions, two carrots peeled and sliced, two slices of raw bacon, slivered. Turn heat on, stir until everything is slick with the fat, and cover. Simmer on very low for ten minutes.
As it simmers slice your cabbage to shreds. 6-7 cups worth. Add to the vegetables in the pot, stir until covered with fat, and cover. Simmer on low again, for another 8 or so minutes.

Heat oven to 325 degrees.
To vegetables add: 2 cups red wine, two peeled and minced tart apples, one crumbled bay leaf, one crushed clove, two cups water, two mashed garlic cloves, salt, pepper and two teaspoons instant beef bouillon. Bake.

I check every half hour or so to see if there's enough liquid. I keep adding more.

Three to five hours later, (full disclosure, last time I made this I baked it for 3 1/2 hours) when its scent is driving you wild, when it's cooked, everything will be so tender and flavorful you will swear you've added sugar, or vinegar. But, no. It's just the essence of the cabbage and aromatics, brought out to their very best.

7 comments:

  1. Yum - I love this. I have a German cousin-in-law and she serves it whenever she hosts Thanksgiving. All these years I thought it was an old family recipe, but a couple years ago I caught a glimpse of the jar in her refrig! Looking forward to trying this at home. I've got some red cabbages growing in my winter garden.

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  2. RC, I had some shredded red, and lime, cabbage yesterday. And, now this!

    Red, red cabbage. It's up to you. All I can do, I've done. But memories won't go. No, memories won't go.

    Red, red cabbage you make me feel so grand!
    I feel a million dollars when your just in my hand.

    Red, red cabbage you make me feel so sad.
    Any time I see you go it makes me feel bad.

    I think I know why the RC is so attractive to you.

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  3. I can give you a copy of a Norsk recipe for red cabbage saurkraut in my dad's own handwriting if you're interested. It's pretty special.

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  4. ah--sounds tempting!
    CO--Love it!
    Karen--Definite garden envy over here---

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  5. Wow, this sounds phenomenal. On a day when I can remember to start cooking six hours ahead, I will try it!

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  6. Yum . . . bookmarking this right away. And, I'm going to try your stroganoff recipe soon after making my new version too many times :) I'm especially interested in the dill pickles in yours.

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  7. Bec: the dill really makes it pop!
    L: The aroma will convince you, the flavor will keep you coming for more--

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