Chef Olaf's Red Cabbage Recipe

Due to popular demand, Chef Olaf has agreed to share the Sauerkraut recipe he prepared for the 2008 Gourmet Food & Wine Expo in Toronto. The red cabbage brand used was Kühne.

The wonderful spice mix Chef Olaf custom-blends for this red cabbage recipe is reminiscent of German gingerbread spice (Lebkuchengewürz) and transforms a fairly simple dish into the epitome of comfort food.

Ingredients:

800 g (28 fl/oz.) German red cabbage
50 ml (3 tablespoons) vegetable oil
50 g (3.5 tablespoons)butter
1 very large onion, very fine sliced
300 g (10.5 oz) golden raisins
2 apples, peeled and grated very fine
300 ml (10 fl/oz.) red wine
300 ml (10 fl/oz.) apple juice
100 ml (3.5 fl/oz.) red wine vinegar
1 espresso spoon ground cloves
1 espresso spoon ground cardamom
1 espresso spoon nutmeg
1 espresso spoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
100 g (3.5 oz) sugar (raw cane or turbinado sugar)
Salt
Pepper
1 Bay leaf

Preparation:

Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a large pot over medium high heat until the butter puts out a nutty aroma.

Now add in onions, raisins, and grated apple and sauté until golden brown for about 5 minutes.

Now add the spices and sugar to the pot and sweat for 5 minutes (don't stir the ingredients yet to allow the sugar to caramelize). Then add the wine, apple juice, bay leaf and vinegar. Season and add in the red cabbage.

Reduce temperature to low heat and simmer mixture for 15 minutes plus, until liquid reduces by 2/3. Taste – season if needed and enjoy!