Recipe ~ Pickled Red Cabbage
Traditionally winter was the time of year for making the best of the produce around & available at the time. Traditionally in the Uk it is eaten with Lancashire Hotpot, & starred chefs such a Nigel Haworth of Northcote Manor & Paul Heathcote of the Heathcote restaurant empire both feature it on their outside catering menus.
So here is our take on an ‘up north’ classic.
Pickled Red Cabbage
- 1/2 Red Cabbage
- 1 Tsp Fennel seeds
- 1 Tsp Yellow Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 Cinnamon stick
- 1 Tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 Chilli (birds eye)
- 1 Star Anise
- 500ml Malt Vinegar
- Brine Solution (1 Liter of water which has 75g of Sea salt dissolved in it)
The night before you wish to assemble the pickle, slice it very finely and leave in a bowl over night covered with the brine solution.
The next day, drain the cabbage and leave to drip dry for 2 hours.
Next in a dry pan big enough to hold all the remaining ingredients, dry toast the spices until the natural oils are released, then add the chilli & the vinegar. Bring to the boil.
Place the cabbage in a 1L Parfait jar, then pour the hot pickling solution over the top.
Seal and leave in a dark cupboard for a minimum of 3 weeks before eating. The result will be a more subtle yet rounded flavour than the horrid acidic supermarket bought product we all grew up on.
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