Caramelized red cabbage

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1 kg red cabbage
• 250 g apples, Boskop, peeled
• 150 g onion(s)
• 150 g lard (goose fat)
• 200 g sugar
• ½ liter red wine
• ¼ liter port wine
• 100 g jelly (currant jelly)
• 0.2 liters of vinegar (red wine vinegar)
• Spice(s), 1 bag with: 2 bay leaves, 5 cloves, 5 allspice berries, 5 juniper berries and 20 peppercorns
• Salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Cut the red cabbage, stalks removed, into the thinnest strips possible, using a slicing machine for best results. Dice the apples and onions, sauté in approximately 150g of goose fat until soft, and set aside. Caramelize approximately 150g of sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil with 0.5l of red wine and 0.25l of port wine. Add the red cabbage strips, moisten with approximately 0.2l of red wine vinegar, and toss thoroughly in the sugar-wine mixture until the cabbage has shrunk slightly. Then add a little salt and the spice packet. If desired, add 1 piece of star anise and/or a few pieces of fresh ginger. Now quickly sauté the cabbage with the lid on. Stir occasionally with a slotted spoon, adding any excess liquid with red wine. After about 30 minutes of cooking, add the apple-onion-goose fat mixture. From now on, turn the red cabbage frequently so that it binds with all the other ingredients and doesn’t burn. Check the taste of the red cabbage at this point and season to taste with red wine vinegar, 3-4 tablespoons of blackcurrant jelly, salt, etc. If there’s still too much liquid in the red cabbage at the end of the cooking time, simply let it simmer uncovered for a few more minutes. When most of the liquid has evaporated, the red cabbage shouldn’t be mushy, but rather have a clear texture. There should be a balance between acidity and pleasant sweetness.