German Braised Red Cabbage (Rotkohl) with Blueberries & Cloves
A popular year-round side dish, this German red cabbage recipe or 'rotkohl' makes a delicious side to roasted meats, and holiday dinners.
Ingredients
- ½ head large red cabbage cored and thinly sliced
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 cup blueberry jam or preserve I used homemade jam
- ½ cup red wine or red wine vinegar
- 1 cup water or chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves 1 or 2 whole cloves can be used, but shouldn't be picked out afterwards
- 1 whole bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
Instructions
- Start by chopping the red cabbage into thin slices. The easiest way to achieve this is by peeling off one or two of the tough outer leaves to expose the clean and tightly formed vegetable underneath. Cut the cabbage into quarters with a sharp knife, and cut out the core as shown in the picture below. While the core is technically edible, it is tough with little flavor.
- Once the red cabbage has been cored, continue by chopping the cabbage into small strips. After chopping the red cabbage, place it in a large bowl and give it a quick rinse. This removes any dirt or insects which may have been caught in the cabbage as it formed. Set the washed cabbage aside.
- Next chop the onion into a medium or small dice size. Using a large pot, lightly saute the onion over medium-high heat in some oil or butter to soften it. Clarified butter is great for this as it has a high smoking point and won't caramelize the onion as quickly. You only want to cook the onion until it softens and turns translucent. Add the chopped cabbage to the pot and cook for four or five minutes over medium heat.
- De-glaze the pot with the red wine, then add the water or stock to the cabbage. Add the blueberry jam, clove, bay leaf, salt and pepper to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium low heat and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Let the red cabbage braise, (essentially simmer), for one to two hours.
- Periodically, have a look in the pot and stir the braising red cabbage to make sure it is not sticking or burning to the bottom of the pot. Towards the end of the cooking time, the liquid should have reduced and slightly thickened. See Notes for suggestions if liquid is thin.
- Once cooked and the cabbage is soft and tender, you can either serve the braised red cabbage immediately while hot, or cool it and then reheat at your leisure. The braised red cabbage is best stored in a non-re-active, airtight container.
Notes
If after cooking for 2 hours the liquid inthe pot is still to thin and has not thickened you have two options:
- You could simply keep cooking the red cabbage for five to ten minutes without the lid to cook out some of the liquid. The sugar in the jam, (and if you used real chicken stock, the gelatin) will help naturally thicken and glaze the cabbage.
- You could also make a slurry with flour or corn starch and use that to thicken the liquid. Be careful not to use too much thickener, the liquid should be just thick enough to barely coat a spoon!
Nutrition
Calories: 787kcal
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
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