Red Cabbage!

[-Sylvie-]

Has anybody got a recipe how to cook red cabbage like you get everywhere in Germany, well anywhere north of the river Rhine. Rotkohl(with vinegar) not Blaukohl(with cream)?! I know it's somehow done with vinegar, juniper berries and bay leave and it goes perfectly with Sauerbraten und Knoedel!

[Inge 1505]

I have to confess, I only once cooked red cabbage myself and was disappointed with the recipe
When I try again I will go for a recipe that either marinates the shredded cabbage in red wine, vinegar and spices overnight before cooking, or one where sugar is lightly caramelized in oil and then the washed, wet cabbage added to be glazed before adding wine and spices. Those sound most appealing to me.
So, when someone has a cood recipe I should like to have it as well

[BecR]

Sylvie77 and Inge1505, I think my recipe for Braised Red Cabbage is what you are looking for (#108449). It is outstanding! My German mother loves it better than her original one, and people that have never tried red cabbage love it too. Hope you like it.

Becky

[-Sylvie-]

Thanks BacR, I saved it to my cookbook and will give it a try!

[*sweetomato*]

I found this on cooks.com and it's my favorite recipe:
Red Cabbage
3 tbsp. bacon fat (you can use veg. oil, but the bacon fat makes it yummy! )
1 head red cabbage
1 apple, sliced
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
Bay Leaf
1 tbsp. flour
1 onion
Put bacon in bottom of large pot. Shred red cabbage and place on top. Simmer on low heat for 1/2 hour. Add apple and onion slices along w/ sugar, vinegar, salt, bay leaf, and 2-3 cups water. Mix 1 tbsp. flour w/ part of water. Add and and stir well. Let simmer until cabbage is done.

[papergoddess]

This is how my mom made it; German Sweet & Sour Cabbage #30576

[Inge 1505]

Thank you all
I saved all the recipes and will give you a review if I try one

[-Sylvie-]

Thanks everybody. I'll give them a go!

[glitter]

I make mine similar to sweettomato...but the bacon is truly a must...it just gives it that really wonderful flavor as does the apple. I love Rotkohl. It goes with so much and is so simple.

[MI Mitten]

Well, to my un-trained eye there is one ingredient not mentioned so far... Cinnamon Stick! I'll have to ask my Mom how she makes it, but I know she includes a cinnamon stick or two (she always makes a large or extra large batch and freezes it). I remember my grandma always made it before ma did and ocassionally bits of the stick that had broken off were found while at the dinner table, of course the sticks themselves had been removed after cooking. I hope this helps some.

[BecR]

Mine has cinnnamon stick.

Becky

[glitter]

We never put cinnamon in ours...it was pretty plain. But the apple and apple cider and of course the bacon drippings was a must. I have come across so many different recipes... ours was an old Bavarian recipe

[MI Mitten]

I'm sorry I missed that in your recipe BecR I stand corrected.

One note: My Mom uses a mix of regular white cabbage (1 large head) and red cabbage (2 to 3 small heads). The red cabbage has enough color to turn it all a lovely deep purple.

[Whipper]

Hope I'm not too late with this, but my favorite recently aquired Eastern Europe cookbook, ok, my only Eastern Europe cookbook has a recipe for this that sounds soooo good:

"Spiced Red Cabbage"

3 thick rindless bacon rashers, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red cabbage, evenly shredded
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 - 1½ tbsp caraway seeds
½ cup water
2 firm ripe pears, cored and evenly chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups red wine
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
¾ cup clear honey
salt and fresh ground pepper
caraway seeds and snipped fresh chives to garnish

1) Dry fry the diced bacon in a pan over a gentle heat for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

2) Stir in the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until pale golden.

3) Stir the cabbage, garlic, caraway seeds and the water into the pan. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes.

4) Season well, then add the pears, lemon juice, red wine and vinegar. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the honey.

5) If there is too much cooking liquid, remove the lid and allow it to reduce. The pears will have broken up in the pot, and the quantity reduced by one-third. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve sprinkled with caraway seeds and snipped fresh chives.

Sorry MI Mitten, no cinnamon stick. I think this is the first time I've ever seen it without apple... I'm thinking that I'll enjoy this way with pear instead even more!

[glitter]

I bet that pear though gives it a very tasty flavor. Pears are so close to apples in flavor when you cook them especially with comething like cabbage. I will have to try that....I love red cabbage.