If you have a barbecue planned or simply want to add a touch of color or flavor to boiled or roasted meat and fish, I recommend the sweet and sour red cabbage, a side dish very easy to prepare but so tasty. Sweet and sour red cabbage is a recipe that contains no gluten or lactose; moreover, it pairs very well with cheeses, both fresh and aged, with which you can create delicious and scenic appetizers.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz red cabbage
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp dry white wine or vinegar
Steps
A few clarifications before moving on to the actual preparation of the sweet and sour red cabbage:
– In this sweet and sour dish, the amount of sugar is less than that of vinegar because red cabbage is already somewhat sweet by itself.
– Among the ingredients, I indicated the use of wine or vinegar to use during the browning of the red cabbage (first cooking phase); this is because the wine or vinegar is only meant to maintain the color of the cabbage, which would otherwise, upon contact with water (in the second cooking phase), take on a color tone between green and petrol blue, which may not be aesthetically pleasing. In any case, the wine or vinegar will not affect the final result.
1* Phase: thinly slice the red cabbage (photo 1) and rinse it under running water; then let it drain well in a colander.
In the meantime, put both the sugar and vinegar in a glass and stir from time to time until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Heat some oil over low heat in a pan.
When the oil is hot, add the cabbage and let it brown over medium heat, stirring constantly.
After a couple of minutes, add the salt and white wine (or vinegar) and let it evaporate for a couple of minutes.
2* Phase: once the wine (or vinegar) has evaporated, add the water (photo 2) and continue cooking over high heat, stirring very often, until all the liquid has completely evaporated (photo 3); it will take approximately 15/18 minutes at most, for the cabbage to have a soft, compact texture and not be mushy.
At this point, add the vinegar and sugar mixture and stir again, still over high heat, for another 4-5 minutes at most.
Turn off the heat and let it cool completely without a lid. The day after, the sweet and sour red cabbage will be even better. You can spice it up by adding some parsley or freshly chopped celery.
Extra idea. While the red cabbage cooks, you can sterilize one or more jars with airtight lids in which to transfer it once cooking is finished. Seal immediately and turn upside down to allow vacuum formation.
Bon appetit
