Wednesday 23 December 2020

Christmas Braised Red Cabbage

Happy Christmas Steve: the braising of the red cabbage is complete, the house smells divine, and the Pumpkin Panettone style Christmas breakfast bread is rising. Yesterday during our WI Zoom Camera Club, we were introduced to the term Steve: we all thought it was probably a 'joke' from one of our member's 'young adults' to make fun of the parents, but we heard today that Steve is the slang word for the day before Christmas Eve, ie 23rd December.

A week or so ago, Kay a dear friend from Kenilworth asked me for the recipe of the red cabbage dish I used to share with her.  I have been making this for years, and would take a jar along to our sewing group, and found out that Kay enjoyed it so much, it was even eaten cold straight from the fridge.  

I bought Delia's Three Part Cookery Course back in the early 1980s, that is forty years ago now!  Then I bought 'Delia Smith's Christmas' as soon as it came out in 1990.  I've just checked, Delia had another one in 2009, all that is besides the point, and quite honestly, the recipe for her braised red cabbage is on line.


The only changes are that I use cider vinegar, red onions, and this year added some dried cranberries.  By coincidence I am taking some of this round to Anne, later today. I was also in the very long queue, all with our masks on,  for Holly's stall, she is the Duck, Goose, Chicken, Egg lady at the market today, and I learnt that a couple of friends were just giving up afterwards, and would not have their red cabbage after all.  I wonder if I can stretched this three ways?

A quick phone call after writing this post to Anthony and Maggie meant that I didn't have to drive round to their place.  A quick salutation to our trusted greengrocer, along which the long queue deterred many as it was also pouring with rain, resulted in a red cabbage being tossed across in exchange for a pound coin.  Bet there were some laughs!  They now have enough cabbage to last a few days.

2 comments:

  1. I can’t remember where I read it but apparently braised red cabbage is making a real comeback this year with all the young things in London. It is THE must have accompaniment to serve with your Christmas lunch and you are a nobody if this is not offered to your guests. (If you were to have any of course). Apparently the art of the red cabbage has become a very competitive dish and much discussion is being made of it. So Noelle you are bang on trend. I thought you might find that amusing. I have a red cabbage in the fridge, I may well make some up tomorrow myself. Wouldn’t want to let the side down.

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    1. Well well! It all comes round, after all these years, a bit like fashion, but of course with tweaks. Perhaps we shall get round to eating more seasonally, if tomatoes in the back of lorries have trouble reaching the markets. Look at Delia's site, she has some much faster ways of preparing a cooked red cabbage dish.

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