First things first:  This is a vaguely German recipe that I remember fondly from my days in Wisconsin.  There is a German Restaurant in Milwaukee called Mader’s which serves a more traditional version of this with their most excellent sauerbraten.  Anyway, Mrs. Butcher and I had already eaten all of the cole slaw we could stand for the year and I decided to do something different with this last head of cabbage from our garden.

A caveat before we get started:  This recipe comes from my copy of The New Professional Chef, so it’s not a traditional version and all the measurements are in weight.  Plus, it calls for Granny Smith apples, but I wasn’t going all the way to the store for a couple of those, so I used the Cripps Pink apples we had on hand because those are still pretty tart.

Here’s what you’ll need:

4 oz. Onions, diced (basically two small)

8 oz. Granny Smith Apples, diced  (2 small)

1.5 Fl. oz. Oil or Rendered Bacon Fat (3 Tbsp.)

8 Fl. oz. Water

2 Fl. oz. Red Wine

2 Fl. oz. Red Wine Vinegar

1 oz. Sugar (2 Tbsp.)

2 oz. Red Currant Jelly (4 Tbsp.)

1 Cinnamon Stick

1 Whole Clove

1 Bay Leaf

3 Juniper Berries

2 lbs. Red Cabbage, chiffonade (that’s Fancy Chef Speak for “sliced thinly”)

½ tsp. Arrowroot Powder

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Slowly sweat the onions and apples in the oil or bacon fat.

Add water, wine, vinegar, sugar and jelly.  Check the flavor to make sure it is tart and strong.

Place the cinnamon stick, clove, bay leaf and juniper berries in a sachet.  A sachet is a small cloth bag for placing things like herbs and spices into when you want to add flavor without actually mixing those ingredients directly into the dish.  This is not to be confused with a sashay, which you are free to do on your own time.  We’ve got work to do here.

Add the cabbage and sachet to the pot, cover and braise (more Fancy Chef Speak for baking for an hour and a half at 300 degrees) until the apples are tender.  Check occasionally to make sure that the liquid hasn’t cooked off.

When the cabbage and apples are done, remove from the oven and remove the sachet. 

In a separate cup or bowl, mix together the  Arrowroot with a little cold water or additional wine.  Stir this into the pot and mix well to slightly thicken the liquid.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with sauerbraten or wiener schnitzel while listening to a Mozart Concerto.