Braised Red Cabbage
This French dish courtesy of Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cook is an excellent accompaniment to roast pork or game. The trick here is the slow-cooking process, which produces a wonderful texture and result.
Ingredients:
1 head red cabbage
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, sliced
2 cooking apples
2 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Quarter cabbage, cut out and discard core and shred the rest finely. Put cabbage in large sauce pan of boiling salted water; bring back to a boil and drain.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large casserole dish or Dutch oven, add the onion, cover and cook until translucent. Peel, quarter and slice apples thinly before adding to pot. Cook for a few minutes, then remove mixture.
3. Add cabbage to dish, layering with onion and apple mixture and sprinkling with the vinegar, sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Season to taste. Cover with thickly-buttered parchment paper and lid, bake for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until very tender.
4. Soften remaining butter in a bowl and mix in flour. Push cabbage to one side of pan, revealing liquid at bottom. Add a quarter of butter-flour mixture and stir in (liquid will thicken slightly). Push cabbage to other side of pot and repeat. Toss together, and only add more butter-flour mix if any watery liquid is still present. Season to taste with additional sugar and vinegar as needed.
