Cooking recipes

Balsamic Red Cabbage

Red cabbage is so classic with sweet and sour flavours that it is very hard to think of any other way of serving it - so I didnt. Balsamic vinegar provides both qualities.

This is quite simple, but since it should be cooked to the point of being moist rather than wet, good temperature regulation and frequent stirring are important. 


4 to 6 servings
45 minutes - 30 minutes prep time


4 cups finely chopped red cabbage
4 to 8 shallots - 1 cup when chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup chicken stock OR apple juice OR white wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Trim and chop the cabbage. Peel and chop the shallots. Heat the butter in a large non-reactive (stainless steel or glass) pot.

Add the shallots and cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened and reduced and slightly browned in spots. Add the cabbage, mixing in well, and let it too cook down for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add the chicken stock or other liquid, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice to be sure it isnt catching. Remove the lid, and add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. I would use about 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt, unless you think your chicken stock is particularly salty, in which case use less. You could use white wine or apple juice or cider if you wanted a vegetarian dish.

Continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so, stirring regularly, until the broth and vinegar are absorbed and the dish is just moist. The closer it gets to done, the more often you will need to stir it to prevent it from scorching, but it is still probably a good idea to increase the heat a little from when it was cooking covered, in order to speed the process a bit.

This reheats well, but it is probably easier to do it in the microwave or in a covered dish in the oven than on the stove-top, where there is the most danger of it burning.




Last year at this time I made Apple Brown Betty.