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Spiced Red Cabbage

Published: Jun 23, 2020 · Last modified: Jan 19, 2021 by AnotherFoodBlogger

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sausages, mashed potatoes and glass of red wine
spiced red cabbage ingredients
cooked red cabbage, gomeral shiraz and spices
bowl of braised red cabbage
bowl of braised red cabbage
cooked red cabbage, gomeral shiraz and spices
spiced red cabbage ingredients

Spiced red cabbage is what's making the house smell SO DARN GOOD right now!  As I walk through the kitchen, I am met with thyme, anise, cinnamon, red wine, and sugary balsamic aromas that are making me so hungry.  Braised red cabbage is one of those dishes that just envokes so many memories.  Read on, head to the shops, and buy the ingredients and full your household with their own memories!

cooked red cabbage, gomeral shiraz and spices

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Here in Australia are seasons are 'back to front' to the rest of the world.  For example, we are nearly in July, and back in Ireland, I would be celebrating the one or two days of summer sun we get.  Instead, here we are talking about things like Christmas in July.  This is precisely what it sounds like - a celebration of Christmas in July.  Nope, there isn't Santa or presents like at Christmas time. It's more about celebrating the food the rest of the world eats in December.

So, with that being said, it's the PERFECT time to bring my spiced red cabbage recipe to the table.  Aside from being GREAT to feed the family, you can make it ahead of time, so it's one less thing to stress about come serving time.  Dunno about you but my family was always about 52 side dishes on the table and 100 dirty pots in the kitchen leaving very full and drunk family members having to do their best not to squabble during clean up time #disaster

CUTTING RED CABBAGE

A VERY technical part of the cooking!  Well, not really, but there is the right way to do it, so you have more even cuts and aren't left with big wedges of the root and 1/2 the dish cooked perfectly and the other either mushy or overcooked.  Follow these simple steps, and you will be right as rain!

1. First, slice the cabbage in half through the core

cut red cabbage & chefs knife on board

2. Slice each segment in half - through the core again

cut red cabbage & chefs knife on board

3. Slice the roots at an angle to remove as much of the root as necessary - the angle will vary depending upon how big the root is

cut red cabbage & chefs knife on board

4. Starting from the top (away from the root end), slice the cabbage width ways into ribbons about 1cm thick

red cabbage ingredients in pot

MAKING BRAISED RED CABBAGE

The beauty of the dish is in its simplicity.  Slow and steady wins the race with this one.  All you need is a sharp knife, chopping board, a large pot, and you are good to go.  Oh, and probably a wooden spoon to.  It really is that easy!  The key to its success is in the time.  You are looking at approx 2 hours to make this dish.  It does seem like a long time, but what you are left with is sweet, spicy, and sticky goodness.  There is enough to feed 8+ ppl as a side dish, AND it can be made in advance, so it's a real winner - in my opinion.

red cabbage ingredients in pot and bottle of red wine

Simply slice up the cabbage as mentioned above, slice up some onion and apple too.  Fry the onion for a couple minutes and then chuck ALL the rest of the ingredients in.  Trust me, when you smell the clove, cinnamon, thyme, brown sugar and anise wafting through the kitchen you will want to bottle it 😉

BOUQUET GARNI

anise, clove, thyme & cinnamon on muslin cloth

Bouquet what?  A classic herb/spice mixture used when cooking or braising meats for long periods.  The method originates in France back in the 1600s.  The technique was used so that you could easily fish out the hard herbs and spices that would be used in braising food for longer periods.  Things like rosemary, thyme, cinnamon, cloves, anise would be tied up in muslin cloth and placed in the braising liquid.  Once finished, you can whip out the little back and chuck it in the bin.  Imagine trying to scrape through 1.5kg of braised red cabbage and pick out a clove - NO THANK YOU!

WHAT CAN YOU EAT WITH SPICED RED CABBAGE

riverview farms pork, red cabbage, mashed potatoes & glass of wine

Aside from it being so DAMN tasty, this is what I LOVE about spiced red cabbage, its versatility.  You can eat it with so many dishes.  I've had it with sausages and mash, alongside a beautiful piece of medium-rare duck, with chicken or turkey for Christmas, alongside some delicious Riverview Farms Hot Roast Pork, the list goes on.  My advice is to bookmark the recipe, head to your local store and grab a cabbage, and get braising!

sausages, mashed potatoes and glass of red wine

CAN YOU FREEZE BRAISED RED CABBAGE

Sure, can!  Cool it in the fridge, portion it up into whatever sizes you want, and place it either in a ziplock bag or an airtight container, label/date it, and into the freezer it goes.  You may think to stick a label on it sounds a bit anal, but believe me when I say things can EASILY get lost or forgotten about in the freezer.  As good as freezers are a wonderful thing but there is only so long that food stays at its "best" in the freezer.

REHEATING SPICED RED CABBAGE

You have 2 choices with this one.  Option A is a quick and easy microwave.  It's fast, easy to do, and if you have a lid on the red cabbage, the steam will help keep the moisture levels up.  Just make sure you give it a stir and reheat again so that it's all evenly heated.  Option 2 is into a pan.  If you were smart enough to leave a little extra braising liquid, you could reheat it using that on low heat.  Or, add a splash of water and warm it in a pot/pan.  The disadvantage of the water is it will guess what...... water down the flavours so don't add too much!

bowl of braised red cabbage

ALTERNATIVE SIDE DISHES

Here are a few sides that work great alongside my spiced red cabbage recipe and/or as part of a large feed for Christmas in July (or December!!)

Grilled Asparagus w/ Pistachio Dukkah by Yours Truly

Pumpkin, Cranberry & Almond Salad by Alexandra Cook of 'It's Not Complicated Recipes'

Sumac Roasted Pumpkin by Yours Truly

Spiced Roasted Parsnips by Robyn Jones of 'Mrs. Jones Kitchen'

Brown Butter Sweet Potatoes by Yours Truly

Crunchy Roast Potatoes w/ Garlic & Rosemary by Marcella Cantatore of 'Marcellina In Cucina'

Christmas Pudding Ice-Cream by Sarah Brooks of 'Keep Calm And Eat Ice-Cream' - because the dessert is JUST as important!!

Happy Cooking and Happy Eating Friends!!

spiced red cabbage ingredients

Spiced Red Cabbage

Amazing aromas and even better flavours!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Course: Dinner, Sunday Lunch
Cuisine: German, Worldwide
Keyword: Braised Red Cabbage, Red Cabbage, Spiced Red Cabbage
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 133kcal
Author: AnotherFoodBlogger
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

  • 1 red cabbage approx. 1.5kg – sliced thinly
  • 300 ml red wine
  • 1 onion peeled & sliced thinly
  • 2 apple peeled & diced
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 100 ml balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • 50 g brown sugar
  • 50 g butter

Instructions

  • Make a bouquet garni with the thyme, clove, cinnamon & anise *see tips*
    anise, clove, thyme & cinnamon on muslin cloth
  • In a large saucepan fry the onion on medium heat with the butter for 2-3 mins until softened
  • Add remaining ingredients and the bouquet garni, cover and leave to simmer gently forn approximately 2hrs. Stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick/burn but you and pretty much leave it alone until near the end
    red cabbage ingredients in pot

Notes

Essential Tools

  • chef knives
  • chopping board
  • large saucepan
  • measuring utensils
  • wooden spoon

Tips/Tricks

  • a bouquet garni is when you wrap herbs/spices in muslin cloth and place it in with the food you are cooking. It allows the aromatics to add flavour to the dish and the ability to remove them easily from the dish so you aren’t fishing out cloves.
  • the red cabbage does take time to make but it’s something that can be easily made in advance and reheated easily.

Nutrition

Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1281IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @another_food_blogger
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marcellina

    June 26, 2020 at 12:12 pm

    5 stars
    Gavin, this look so good I can't wait to try it. I've never thought of cooking cabbage in red wine - brilliant!

    Reply
  2. Laura

    June 25, 2020 at 3:03 am

    YUMM! I usually just do cabbage in stir fries or with butter and garlic. This is so much better!

    Reply
  3. Alex

    June 23, 2020 at 4:44 pm

    5 stars
    Red cabbage is one of my favourites - so I was very excited to come across this recipe. Love all of the flavours - so warming, comforting and fragrant. Perfect for a Christmas in July celebration!

    Reply

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