Red cabbage meatballs with apple sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg apples, e.g. B. Boskoop or Topaz
• 1 large lemon(s), juice, approx.
• 125 ml water, approx.
• 5 tbsp sugar, approx.
• some cinnamon powder
• 1 head of red cabbage, 800 g
• 1 tbsp, levelled sugar
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp butter
• 125 ml water, approx.
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 carnations
• 4 juniper berries
• 1 cinnamon stick(s)
• 10 g ginger root, approx.
• Salt and pepper, freshly ground black
• 1 roll or 2 slices of toast, untoasted, from the day before
• Water or cream for soaking
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 400 g minced meat
• 1 m.-sized egg(s)
• 2 tsp mustard, medium hot
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• some rapeseed oil, sunflower oil or clarified butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

For the applesauce, peel and quarter the apples, and remove the cores. Then cut the apple quarters into slices and immediately toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice. Bring the apple slices, lemon juice, and sugar to a boil in a saucepan with the water and sugar, then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until soft. Mash a little with a potato masher if desired, or puree with a hand blender. Season the applesauce with a little cinnamon powder and, if desired, a little sugar, and chill. Trim and halve the red cabbage, remove the stalk, and finely slice it. Knead in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt, the sugar, and the vinegar. Place the spices in a spice bag. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan, cover, and sauté the red cabbage with the spice bag for about 10 minutes. Then add the water, cover, and sauté for another 15 minutes. Soak the bread roll or slices of toast in a little cold water or cream. Peel the ginger, grate it finely, and add it to the red cabbage shortly before the end of the cooking time. Season with pepper. Peel the onion and garlic clove and finely dice both. Remove the spice sachet from the red cabbage. Squeeze the soaked bread roll or slices of toast well and knead them in a bowl with the minced meat, diced onion and garlic, egg, mustard, and about half of the red cabbage. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Then form the mixture into meatballs. Heat a little rapeseed or sunflower oil or clarified butter in a large pan and fry the meatballs on all sides for about 10 minutes. Then add the remaining butter and let it foam briefly. Serve the meatballs on plates with the foamed butter, applesauce, and the remaining red cabbage. Serve with mashed potatoes and a fresh green salad and cranberries.