Red cabbage strudel with chestnuts and dates

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 roll of toffee batter (275 g – refrigerated shelf)
• ½ head of red cabbage (approx. 500 g)
• 100 g chestnuts, pre-cooked
• 10 dates, dried
• 1 organic orange(s)
• 50 ml port wine, red (alternatively red wine)
• 50 ml balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 pinch of coriander powder
• pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg(s) or egg yolk

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 2 hours 45 minutes

Red cabbage with a twist, main course for 2-3 people, side dish for 4 or more

Quarter or eighth the red cabbage, remove the stalk, and finely grate it. Mix well with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of salt. Let stand for about 15 minutes, then knead vigorously and let stand for another 30 minutes to 1 hour. Then pour through a sieve, squeezing out any excess liquid. Heat the oil in a large pot, add the red cabbage, and sauté briefly. Grate the orange zest, juice the orange, and add the juice to the red cabbage, along with the balsamic vinegar and port wine. Season with pepper, coriander, orange zest, and chili (the amount of chili depends on how spicy you like it). Cover the pot and simmer over medium heat, adding a little more liquid (water, red wine, or vegetable stock) if necessary. After about 15 minutes, add the thinly sliced ​​dates. Roughly crumble some of the chestnuts and mix them in as well. Braise for another 15-20 minutes, uncovered at the end so the liquid reduces. The red cabbage should still have some bite at the end, meaning it shouldn’t be completely overcooked. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Roll out the puff pastry on baking paper on a baking sheet. Arrange the red cabbage (from the wide side) in the middle, leaving about 3-4 cm free on the right and left edges. Distribute the remaining chestnuts on the red cabbage. Beat the egg and spread a thin layer all around the remaining pastry. Fold the narrow sides up, then pull the long sides over the filling, press down firmly, and place the roll seam-down on the baking sheet. Brush the top with the remaining egg/egg yolk. Place in the oven on the second rack from the bottom and bake for about 30 minutes, until the pastry is a beautiful golden brown. The strudel is a great side dish to all meat dishes, where “regular” red cabbage also goes well, but it also makes a very tasty main course. Then it’s best to make a small yogurt and herb dip: Mix 1 cup of yogurt with about 2 tablespoons of goat’s cheese, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, a little salt, pepper, and ½ bunch of finely chopped chives. (If you prefer a richer dish, simply use sour cream or crème fraîche instead of yogurt.) If you like, you can also mix crumbled feta cheese into the red cabbage if it’s being served as a main course (just before spreading it on the puff pastry).