Red Cabbage (Chou Rouge)

Red Cabbage is usually available all year, it adds a lovely splash of colour to any dish, if used raw, add a little to a salads to give a crunch.

Personally I prefer it braised, as the slow cooking brings out it's mellow flavour. It sits perfectly with game or red meat dishes.

There are several ways to make braised red cabbage, here's one from the region of Lorraine which is in the far north-east region of France, bordering Germany, Belguim and Luxembourg.

Chou Rouge

Serves:- 4-6, Preparation time:- 10 mins, Cooking time:- 2hours 20mins but well worth it!!

Ingredients

* 1 large red-cabbage, remove outer leaves and core and slice into fine strips
* 2 medium onions, again slice into fine strips
* 125g or 4oz of smoked bacon, diced, small
* 1 large apple, peeled, cored then diced
* 1 tablespoon of lard
* 300ml of chicken stock or vegetable stock
* 300ml of red wine
* 1 bayleaf
* salt and pepper
* cook the cabbage in boiling water for 10 minutes and leave to drain

* put your oven on at gas mark 5 or 190degC

* use a casserole pan you can use on the hob and transfer to the oven

*sweat the bacon, onions and lard

* then add the cabbage, stock, wine, bayleaf, apple, salt and pepper

* cover the casserole and put in your oven, bake for upto 2 hours

* it is a perfect accompaniment to any meat dish, I prefer it with duck breasts!