Recipes

From Vegetables by Sophie Grigson, this is a really good version of the classic braised red cabbage recipe.

Serves 6

    1 large red cabbage
    2 large onion, halved and sliced
    2 eating apples, cored and roughly chopped
    100ml (3½ fl oz) red wine (or port)
    4 tbsp caster sugar
    2 tbsp red wine vinegar
    4 cloves
    2 cinnamon sticks
    1 blade of mace
    40g (1½ oz) unsalted or lightly salted butter
    Salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2

Quarter the red cabbage, then core and slice finely. Mix in a capacious casserole dish with all the remaining ingredients except the butter. Dot the butter over the top. If the casserole is flameproof, bring up to the boil on top of the hob - not absolutely necessary but it does give the cabbage a beginner's boost, thereby marginally abbreviating a lengthy cooking time.

Transfer the cabbage, covered, to the oven (or just put it straight in from cold) and leave to cook down gently for 3-3½ hours. Stir after about an hour, and then again every 40 minutes or so. The cabbage will eventually cook down to a sublime melting tenderness, having absorbed most of the liquid.

Taste and adjust the seasoning and either serve at once or reheat thoroughly when the next meal comes along.