Braised Red Cabbage with Port, Cranberries and Ginger

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This beautiful, vibrant red cabbage dish is bursting with all the flavours of winter and Christmas – port, cranberries, ginger as well as some red onion and garlic. Even better it can be completely cooked a day or two in advance and just re-heated on the day.

We always have this cabbage at Christmas but I also love it with the Venison Casserole with Port and Rosemary I posted a few weeks ago. Other dishes it would work well with include any roast, Beef Bourguignon, Toad in the Hole and Onion Gravy or indeed any casserole or hot pot. It is also fabulous with most game dishes.

How to make Braised Red Cabbage with Port, Cranberries and Ginger:

Collect all your ingredients together:

• unsalted butter
• olive oil
• red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• cinnamon
• red cabbage, cored, outer leaves removed and shredded
• eating apple, skinned, cored and finely chopped
• cranberry sauce or redcurrant jelly
• fine salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• good quality balsamic vinegar
• maple syrup
• port

How to make it:

There is quite a long list of ingredients, but it comes together very quickly.

1. Heat the butter and oil in a cast iron pan over a moderately hot temperature and cook the onion for 5 minutes until softened and slightly caramelised.
2. Finely chop the garlic and ginger – I use a small food processor but you can do this by hand.
3. Add the garlic and ginger to the onion and continue to cook for 1 minute until aromatic.
4. Now add the cinnamon and stir well.
5. Add all the remaining ingredients: the red cabbage, apple, cranberry sauce or redcurrant jelly, seasoning, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and the port.
6. Stir thoroughly to mix.
7. Cover and cook in a pre-heated oven for 30 – 45 minutes. The length of time you cook it for will depend on how thin you sliced the cabbage and how you like your cabbage cooked – I cook mine for 40 minutes.
8. Take it out of the oven when the cabbage is cooked to your liking. There should be some port in the base of the pan. Transfer the pan to your hob and cook the cabbage, with no lid, over a high heat to reduce the port – this should only take 2-3 minutes. Stir from time to time and keep a close eye on it. (NB Be careful – the pan will be very hot!)
9. The cabbage is ready when the port has been reduced and the cabbage is covered in a rich and sticky port glaze.

Preparing in advance:

Follow above steps 1 – 7, take the cabbage out of the oven but do not reduce the port. When cool store, covered, in the fridge until needed. You can make it a day or 2 in advance.

To serve: 5 – 10 minutes before you are ready to serve your meal, put the pan on the hob with the lid on and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. When simmering, take the lid off, turn up to a high heat to reduce the port – this should only take 2-3 minutes. Stir from time to time and keep a close eye on it. It is ready when the port has been reduced and the cabbage is piping hot and covered in a rich and sticky port glaze.

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Made this recipe?

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