Traditional German Side Dish Served at Christmas
Red cabbage and apples, also known as Rotkohl, is a traditional German and Eastern European side dish served with roast meat. Usually served alongside roast duck at Christmas, this deliciously spiced red cabbage goes well with chicken, pork, potatoes, carrots and almost any other vegetable side dish.
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Red Cabbage and Apple (German Rotkohl)
Nicely spiced red cabbage and apple side dish perfect for a Sunday roast side dish or Christmas dinner
Servings: 6 – 8 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 red cabbage approx. 1.2 kg
- 2 apples
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Sea salt flakes
- 2 red onions
- 50 g butter
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 4 cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 4 juniper berries
- 3 whole black peppercorns
- 50ml chicken or vegetable stock
Instructions
- Slice the cabbage into very thin strips using a food processor, mandolin or knife.
- Peel onions, cut in half then slice red onion into thin strips.
- Remove the apple core and grate each piece with a box grater.
- Grind cloves, allspice, juniper berries, thyme and peppercorns into a powder.
- Heat a large saucepan with the butter, and gently fry red onions for a couple of minutes. Add cabbage and apple, toss around and continue to cook another 5 minutes until the cabbage starts to soften.
- Add the ground spice mix, red wine vinegar, and chicken or vegetable stock. Combine, cover with a lid, and simmer for 35–45 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure the mixture doesn’t dry out (if so, add a few splashes of water). The cabbage should still have a firm texture and not be mushy.
- Remove from heat, taste and season with salt If necessary. Serve hot!