All Photos: Wendy Goodfriend
I’ve always loved the sweet and sour braised red cabbage you get in German restaurants, but I never considered making it at home until I met my British husband and started frequenting the UK more often (cabbage actually comes from Britain). There, in the deep, dark winter months, they serve it alongside braised sausages, slow-roasted meats, and pillowy piles of mash. Helllooo?! I came home one year and was determined to come up with my own version; one that had all the layers of flavor and nuances of the versions I’d tried across the pond.
This is my special holiday version. It feels warm and cozy and a bit spruced up. If you want to make a simpler version, just omit the chestnuts, swap out the pancetta for bacon, and leave off the fresh parsley garnish. It is great alongside turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, providing the perfect sweet-tart counterpoint, but you can also serve this up with sausages, roast chicken, seared lamb chops, or roast pork tenderloin. Sometimes I even just stand there at my fridge and eat it semi-respectfully from the bowl (as opposed to my toddler who merely shovels it into her mouth with her hands, declaring it “nummy” after each and every bite).
Recipe: Braised Red Cabbage
Serves 4–6
Ingredients:
Olive oil
3–4 thin slices pancetta, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
About 8 oz cooked, peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped*
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tart baking apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 small red cabbage, outer leaves and core removed, sliced
Balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
A handful of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
