This delicious dish of spiced red cabbage bears no relation to the soggy stench of long-cooked cabbage dishes. Cooking time, all up is only about 25 minutes, so the vegetable has had little time to develop its powerful odour produced by hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, mercaptans and methyl sulfide.
The addition of coriander seeds adds a warm, orange tinged spiciness to the dish and the garlic provides its wonderful synergy with cabbage. It makes a tasty accompaniment to all manner of red meat dishes and goes particularly well with sausages. If you were to add thin slices of cooking apple a few minutes after the cabbage, the added sweetness makes it especially suitable to poultry and game, such as duck.
Once made, this cabbage dish will last very well in the refrigerator, up to ten days. This makes it a snip to heat up and partner with some grilled chicken and a salad for a quick and tasty meal.
1/2 head of red cabbage
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 Tbs coriander seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
60 ml (1/4 cup) red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Peel away the coarse outer leaves of the cabbage. Slice in half, right through the thick stem. Cut out this stem. Slice the cabbage into thin strips. Peel the onion and slice into thin rounds. Place into a large mixing bowl with all the remaining ingredients, except the salt and pepper, and mix well to combine.
Choose a large, heavy-based pot and bring up to medium-high heat. Add the cabbage mixture and stir as it sizzles in the pot for 3-4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it looks a little dry, add a bit more oil and vinegar. Add the salt and pepper. Taste to check it is ready. It should be reasonably soft, but still with a little texture left.
Serve immediately, or allow to cool and pack up tightly for storage in the refrigerator. Makes about 1 litre (4 cups).