Rotkohl mit Ӓpfeln -- Red Cabbage with Apples (Germany)

I was in a Germany mood today and decided to cook up the red cabbage sitting in my refrigerator.  I think it would go well with some grilled bratwurst and quality mustard, don't you?  I turned to my 1969 edition of Recipes:  The Cooking of Germany, published by Time-Life in their "Foods of the World" series.

No ISBN listed

On page 63, I found what I was looking for:

Rotkohl mit Ӓpfeln -- Red Cabbage with Apples

To serve 4 to 6

A 2- to 2 1/2- pound red cabbage
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons lard or bacon fat
2 medium-sized cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/8-inch thick wedges
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 whole onion, peeled and pierced with 2 whole cloves
1 small bay leaf
5 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons dry red wine
3 tablespoons red currant jelly (optional)

I like the color variety.

Wash the head of cabbage under cold running water, remove the tough outer leaves, and cut the cabbage into quarters.  To shred the cabbage, cut out the core and slice the quarters crosswise into 1/8-inch-wide strips.

Drop the cabbage into a large mixing bowl, sprinkle it with the vinegar, sugar, and salt, then toss the shreds about with a spoon to coat them evenly with the mixture.  In a heavy 4- to 5-quart casserole, melt the lard or bacon fat over moderate heat.  Add the apples and chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the apples are lightly browned.  Add the cabbage, the whole onion with cloves, and the bay leaf; stir thoroughly and pour in the boiling water.  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, and reduce the heat to its lowest possible point.  Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the cabbage is tender.  Check from time to time to make sure that the cabbage is moist.  If it seems dry, add a tablespoon of boiling water.  When the cabbage is done, there should be almost no liquid left in the casserole.  Just before serving remove the onion and bay leaf, and stir in the wine and the currant jelly.  Taste for seasoning, then transfer the entire contents of the casserole to a heated platter or bowl and serve.

My Notes

I had everything but the lard/bacon fat, so I used olive oil.  The optional jelly was out, too.

Shredding the cabbage by following their directions worked well.

Cabbage with vinegar, salt, and sugar.  Tossed.

The whole onion was bigger than what I thought would be needed, but it was what I could get.  It seemed to be okay at the end.

Everything in the pot, ready to be simmered.

After two hours of simmering, 30 minutes of that with the lid off, there was still a lot of liquid left in the pan.  So I scooped out the cabbage and reduced the liquid to almost nothing.  This way I think I would still capture the flavors in the liquid without overcooking the cabbage.

After simmering.  Still very wet.

The Verdict

I reduced the liquid to about 1 cup and poured it over the cabbage in a bowl.  It was still too wet, at least according to the recipe's description.  But I didn't want to strain it out, so I added the red wine and proceeded from there.

Strained a bit before placed in this serving bowl

I served it with grilled sausages.  The taste was excellent:  slightly sweet with an acid bite.  I couldn't taste the apples or onions directly but I think it benefited from them being there.  The cabbage was very tender but not falling apart or slimy.  I liked it hot and later, cold.  Each time I served it, I used a slotted spoon to reduce the amount of liquid, and I placed it in individual bowls.

It made a lot and I have had it for several meals.  It was a nice accompaniment with roasted chicken and also roast beef.  What I think I like most is that it is sweet but not cloyingly so.  A good side dish to perk up the meat!

Success!