Cabbage/ Brussel Sprouts

(All Recipes have Gluten-Free Options)

Braised Red Cabbage with Apples (Serves 10-12)

This is a family favourite, it’s a Delia Smith recipe from her cookbook ‘Christmas’. This is a winner of a recipe, it can be prepared and cooked beforehand and reheated successfully and, apparently, it freezes well, although I have never tried as it always gets eaten very quickly!

1kg red cabbage

450g onions, chopped small

450g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped small

1 garlic clove, chopped very small

¼ whole nutmeg, freshly grated

¼ level teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

15g butter, cubed

Sea salt and black pepper

  1. Discard the tough outer leaves of the cabbage and cut it into quarters, remove the hard stalk. Then shred the rest of the cabbage finely.
  2. In a fairly large casserole arrange a layer of shredded cabbage, season with salt and pepper, then add a layer of chopped onions and apples with a sprinkling of garlic, spices and sugar. Continue to alternate layers until everything is used up (I like to make up three layers).
  3. Pour over the red wine vinegar and finally dot the cubes of butter over the top.
  4. Cover with a lid and place in a preheated oven, 150’c fan, for 2-2½ hours, stirring everything around once or twice during cooking.

Brussel Sprouts with Chestnuts, Pancetta & Marsala (Serves 8-10)

This is a fantastic festive recipe from Nigella Lawson – it’s so good that is really shouldn’t just be made over Christmas, it’s a great accompaniment to any roast!…

1 kg brussel sprouts

250g diced pancetta

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

30g butter

250g vacuum packed chestnuts

60ml Marsala wine

1 large bunch of parsley

Sea salt and black pepper

  1. Trim the sprouts and tip them into a large pan of salted boiling water and cook until tender but still retaining some bite – about 5 minutes.
  2. In a deep frying pan, cook the pancetta cubes in the oil until golden and crisp.
  3. Add the butter and the chestnuts, use a wooden spoon to press on the chestnuts to break them up a little. When they are warmed through, turn up the heat and add the Marsala, letting it bubble away to create a lovely, buttery syrup.
  4. Add the drained sprouts, turning well and sprinkling over half of the parsley and a good grinding of pepper and a little salt to taste.
  5. Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle over a little more parsley.

Creamed Cabbage & Celeriac with Pancetta (Serves 4)

This is a wonderfully luxurious way of serving cabbage, the flavours of the celeriac and carrots are fantastic alongside the cream. It goes well with beef and game dishes. You could prepare it up to stage 2 and leave it to one side, then reheat when needed, adding the cabbage and cream just before serving – this makes it an easy dish to serve to guests.

100g streaky bacon, chopped

Olive oil

400g carrots, peeled and diced

½ celeriac, peeled and diced

50g unsalted butter

1 small Savoy cabbage, trimmed and finely shredded

200ml double cream

Sea salt and black pepper

  1. Heat a little olive oil in a large sauté pan and fry the chopped bacon until golden brown. Add the carrots and celeriac, sweat the vegetables for 6-8 minutes until softened.
  2. Add the butter and stir through the cabbage. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the cabbage is tender. Pour in the cream and simmer to reduce slightly. Season generously with salt and pepper before serving.

Buttered Savoy Cabbage (Serves 4)

Such an easy and useful recipe to have…

1 Savoy cabbage, trimmed and finely sliced

25g unsalted butter

Sea salt and black pepper

  1. Place the finely sliced cabbage in a saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes to blanch it. If you are not using straightaway, immediately refresh with cold water and drain well.
  2. When you are ready to serve the cabbage, melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the drained cabbage and season well with salt and pepper. Toss over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes until the cabbage is just tender. Serve at once.