Red cabbage with bacon and apples

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 kg red cabbage, cleaned, quartered, stalk removed, finely shredded
• 75 g bacon, fatty, smoked, cut into small cubes
• 3 apples, Cox-Orange, (alternatively Boskop), peeled, cored, finely diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp, leveled herb salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper, ground
• 2 cubes of meat broth, instant
• 200 ml water, hot

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

(Preparation time: 2 days)

Day 1: In a large pot, fry the bacon over medium heat, add the red cabbage, season, bay leaf, and apples, add hot water, and meat stock cubes, and mix well. Simmer over low heat for at least 2 (!!) hours. Half an hour before the end of cooking, mash the red cabbage with a potato masher (“Kaabesstéisser”) until smooth, repeating every 10 minutes if necessary. Allow the red cabbage to cool completely. Day 2: Reheat the red cabbage the next day (it can simmer for another 1 to 1.5 hours). Season again if necessary, and remove the bay leaf. Tip: Cook twice the amount and freeze some of it in aluminum trays. These can then be heated in the oven, along with their contents. IMPORTANT: This recipe does NOT contain any vinegar, cinnamon, mulled wine spices, cloves, jam, wine, etc. – it may be a bit fatty and therefore should not be used as the only vegetable side dish, but the French (and of course the lovers of French cuisine) among you will love this “Confit de Choux Rouge”, even if it is a bit time-consuming to prepare.