German Braised Red Cabbage (Blaukraut)
by Jay Wadams
No festive table in Germany would be without a big pot of braised red cabbage, flavoured with apple, cloves and juniper berries. Depending on where in the country you are, this could be called Rotkohl or Blaukraut and it is the perfect accompaniment to roast goose.
Ingredients
- 1 small red cabbage around 750g (1.75 lb.)
- 2 medium red onions
- 5 cloves
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tbsp redcurrant jelly or cranberry jelly
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp juniper berries
- 500 ml 2 cups vegetable stock or broth
- Splash of red wine
- 2 medium apples
- Sea salt and black pepper
optional:
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
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Instructions
- PREPARE: Wash the cabbage, cut into quarters and cut out the white stem. Remove the outer leaves, then slice finely. Peel the onions and dice finely, reserving a quarter of one onion (not diced!). Push the cloves into the reserved onion (this way they won’t get lost).
- SAUTÉ VEGETABLES: Heat the butter in a large, deep-sided skillet (it needs a lid) and gently cook the diced onion until soft, but not coloured. Add the red cabbage and the vinegar and immediately stir well to combine.
- SIMMER: Stir through the redcurrant jelly, bay leaves, juniper berries, stock and red wine, tuck the onion slice with the cloves into the pan, season well with salt and pepper, then cover and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.
- ADD APPLES: While the cabbage is cooking, peel, core and dice the apples. After 20 minutes, add them to the pan and cook, covered, for a further 15 minutes until the cabbage is tender. The cabbage should still have a bit of bite.
- OPTIONAL: If you’d like the braising liquid to be a little thicker, stir the cornstarch into 3 tablespoons of cold water. When the cabbage is tender, stir the cornstarch slurry into the mixture, bring to the simmer once more, stirring until thickened, then remove from the heat.
- SERVE: Discard the onion with the cloves, taste and season with a little salt, pepper, sugar or more redcurrant jelly to taste, then serve warm or hot alongside roast meats.
Notes
Rotkohl or Blaukraut can be made well in advance, and in tastes even better the next day when the flavours have really developed. Simply reheat over low heat in a saucepan with a splash of water or apple juice to loosen before serving.
I prefer to use a sharp knife to slice my cabbage, but you can, of course, use a food processor with a slicing attachment fitted if you prefer
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 224mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 30g