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It is probably fair and accurate to say that when most of us first think of cabbage, we think of the green or even white varieties, and rarely consider red cabbage. A great many of us have a mental image of cabbage as a limp, over-stewed and tasteless vegetable we were perhaps forced to eat as children.

It is a great shame that cabbage has such an unenviable reputation as it is an incredibly nutritious vegetable, and if cooked correctly, a most delicious one as well. I am therefore going to look at how we can cook it by a method other than the traditional boiling which most of us find so distasteful. I am first going to consider a recipe using the aforemetioned red cabbage. It is not unheard of to cook red cabbage with pears but this is a variation on the theme which came in to my head one day and turned out to be most enjoyable.

Spiced Red Cabbage with Apple and Pear

Ingredients

1 small red cabbage

1 large apple (I used a Granny Smith)

1 large pear

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of dried ground ginger

1 tbsp olive oil

Method

Cut the cabbage in half down through the centre and by making two insertions in a v-shape in each half, cut away the remainder of the central core. Place each half flat and slice across the way. De-core and peel the apple and cut in half from top to bottom. Lay each half flat and slice in to effective crescent shapes. Peel the pear and, working your way around the circumference, cut off thin slices until you reach the core, which should be discarded.

Heat the olive oil in a large, preferably non-stick pan and add the cabbage. Stir frequently and well to heat it through. After a couple of minutes, add the apple and pear, followed by the spices and stir thoroughly. Cook for a further seven or eight minutes on a low heat, remembering to stir regularly.

There are a great many foodstuffs which this recipe complements but I find it goes particularly well with pork.

It is possible of course to vary this theme with other types of cabbage. For example, try using white cabbage, a small onion, garlic and a pinch of nutmeg for a healthy and delicious alternative. Again, heat the cabbage through first before adding the thinly sliced onion and the very finely chopped or crushed garlic. A tablespoon of freshly chopped cilantro/coriander leaf added right at the end of the cooking time only just to heat through instead of the nutmeg also works well.

Learn more about this author, Gordon Hamilton.
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