This rich red cabbage dish is a must at Christmas and will reward you with the festive scent of spices wafting through the house as you cook it. Perfect for making ahead and re-heating on the day for a stress-free Christmas lunch.
First shred the red cabbage, grate the apple and dice the red onion.
Place the red cabbage, apples, red onion, red wine and water in a saucepan and stir well. Put the lid on and cook for 1 hour over a low heat, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Top up with a little more water each time it gets too dry. If it catches on the bottom a little, just add more water and stir to get the burnt bits off. It’ll be fine.
½ red cabbage (220g), 1 ½ apples (100g), 1 red onions (70g), 40 ml red wine, ½ cup water (120ml)
After an hour, when the cabbage is soft, add the syrup, vinegar and spices and season well. Continue to cook for another 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Keep topping up with a little water each time you find it too dry or catching on the bottom.
1 tablespoon date syrup, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
After 30 minutes it should be very soft and the flavours combined well. Season to taste and stir in the olive oil (if using) so that it is glossy and rich.
2 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper
Serve.
Notes
See blogpost for notes about how to shred the cabbage.
If making ahead, refrigerate (up to 5 days) or freeze (up to 1 month) before stirring in the olive oil at the end. Defrost overnight in the fridge and warm up in the oven for 30 minutes at 180°C/350°F (or whatever temperature your oven is at if cooking with other food). Cover the dish with foil when re-heating to avoid the top burning. Then stir in the olive oil when hot. Remember to taste and season with salt and pepper as required!