Christmas red cabbage

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1 head of red cabbage, approx. 2 kg
• 200 ml mulled wine
• 4 cl Worcestershire sauce
• 4 cl maple syrup
• 4 cl honey
• 4 cl lemon juice
• 4 cl apple cider vinegar, mild
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp lard
• 1 cinnamon stick(s)
• 3 bay leaves
• 15 carnations
• 6 juniper berries
• 6 allspice berries
• 2 tsp gingerbread spice
• 2 apples (not cooked)

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest period approx. 1 day; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 day 1 hour 20 minutes

Chop the red cabbage. I like to do this with a knife; then the finished red cabbage looks a bit more rustic than if it were chopped with a food processor. Heat the lard in a large pot, add the red cabbage a little at a time, and fry until crisp. Then add all the liquids, then all the spices, and cook for about 1-1.5 hours, depending on the desired consistency; we like it a bit firm to the bite. The red cabbage now needs to simmer for at least 24 hours; the liquid in the pot will be absorbed by the red cabbage, making it more flavorful. Heat the red cabbage in the pot before eating. If there is still too much liquid in the pot, you can thicken it with flour or a sauce thickener. I add the chopped apples right at the end, as they are not cooked in my recipe.