All Year
It’s so simply to ruin this lovely vegetable. And yet so simple to make it into a nice and warm side dish. It combines the true taste of the cabbage with the aromatic flavour of the cloves and the acidity of the Balsamic Vinegar. Ordinary vinegar would just add acidity, which is too bland. We once used vinegar infused with figs, which was also wonderful.
Ideal with pork, boudin noir or black pudding.
A simple full-bodied red wine will work very well with the dish. We combined our red cabbage and black pudding with a glass (or two, three) of Saint-Amour (P. Ferraud & Fils, 2014) and we loved every bit of it. The beaujolais is both fruity and lean, which works very well with the cabbage and the spices.
By the way, never underestimate a Beaujolais; the 10 crus of the Beaujolais are wonderful. Never confuse it with Beaujolais Nouveau; that’s marketing for you.
Here is what you need:
- Half a red cabbage
- 10 – 20 Cloves depending on your taste (we love them!)
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 Apple
- Olive Oil
- Water
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Black Pepper
- Cinnamon
Remove the outer leaves of the red cabbage and slice the remaining cabbage thinly. Remove the skin of the apple and grate; add the gloves to the cabbage and mix. Heat an iron skillet, add some olive oil and gently add the mix. Keep on a low fire under a cartouche. Check every 15 minutes or so, stir and add a bit of water if so required. When the cabbage is ready (could take an hour) then start adding Balsamic Vinegar. Taste well and season with black pepper and cinnamon. If you feel like it, add a bit of fresh nutmeg.
Cook and Drink 