Tender and tangy red cabbage is braised with the seasonal flavours of mulled red wine for a festive holiday side dish. Perfect for a Victorian Christmas inspired menu!
Mulled wine braised red cabbage is the ideal side dish for a Christmas feast inspired by the Victorian era of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Wine braised cabbage pairs perfectly with the succuluent roast goose prepared by Mrs. Cratchit for her family on Christmas Day. Although the Cratchit family was of modest means due to Ebenezer Scrooge’s shameful salary for Bob Cratchit, they would have made do with the produce available to them. Cabbage was a hearty and dependable vegetable that would have been easy to come by for the Cratchits.
For a special Christmas treat, pair red cabbage with the festive flavours of mulled wine. Paired with a roast goose, the sweet and tangy flavours of the cabbage serve to balance the richness of the goose. Red wine and warm mulling spices add a holiday flair to this humble cabbage side dish.
Ingredients
Red cabbage: Use a medium sized red cabbage. If the cabbage is very large, you may need to increase the wine, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar depending on flavour.
Red wine: Red wine provides the base liquid for this braised dish. There is no need to use an expensive wine here – any basic red wine will work.
Apples: Diced apples add sweetness to the cabbage. Although with the long cooking time, they will break down somewhat into the cabbage.
Apple cider vinegar: Vinegar adds necessary tang to this sweet cabbage dish.
Brown sugar: I like to use brown sugar, although could use white sugar instead.
Spices: To capture that mulled wine flavour, I use cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and cloves. The cinnamon sticks will be easy to remove later. I recommend using ground cloves rather than whole cloves as they can be hard to find later.
How to make Mulled Wine Braised Red Cabbage
Prep the cabbage
Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Slice the cabbage into this shreds. Cut the slices across two or three times so they aren’t too long. Transfer the shredded cabbage to a bowl and set aside. Dice the red onion. Peel and shop the apples. Peel strips of the zest from the orange and then juice the orange.
Braise the cabbage
In a deep skillet or braiser, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the red onion and sauté for a couple of minutes until it begins to soften. Add the cabbage along with the red wine, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, orange juice and zest, cinnamon sticks, and the spices and kosher salt. Stir to combine the ingredients. Add the apples and bring the cabbage up to a boil.
Turn down the heat to low, cover, and slowly braise the cabbage until it is very tender or until your desired doneness. It will take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours for the cabbage to braise on low. Taste the cabbage, if it’s too sweet add a bit more apple cider vinegar, if it’s too tangy, add a bit more brown sugar.
Serve the Mulled Wine Braised Red Cabbage
This sweet and tangy vegetable dish is the perfect side dish for duck or goose. The cabbage cuts through the richness of the fatty meat. It also pairs well with pork or ham. Enjoy!
