French cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Limousin-Style Red Cabbage

Red cabbage braised long in red wine with chestnuts and apple, sweet-sour and deep dark.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 1 head red cabbage (about 1.2 kg)
• 300 g chestnuts (pre-cooked)
• 2 tart apples
• 2 onions
• 250 ml red wine
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 50 g butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Quarter the red cabbage, cut out the core and shred the quarters finely; cut the onions into rings and peel and dice the apples.
2. Melt the butter in a large braising pot, sauté the onions for 5 min., sprinkle in the brown sugar and let it caramelize for 2 min.
3. Add the red cabbage and sauté, turning, for 5 min. until it wilts, then deglaze with the vinegar – the acid keeps the color vivid.
4. Pour in the red wine, add apples, bay leaves and cinnamon, season with salt and pepper and braise covered over low heat for 45 min., stirring occasionally.
5. Break the chestnuts coarsely, fold in and braise uncovered for another 15 min. until the liquid has almost completely reduced and the cabbage glistens.
6. Remove the bay leaves, season generously with salt, pepper and a little vinegar and serve hot with game or poultry.