A tricky spring feeling…

Ah, this beautiful bright sun outside, the first crocuses taking a peak at the sky… I walk up this morning with a butterfly feeling deep inside… would it be spring, at last?

After diving into my tiny city garden full of enthusiasm for the very first time this year (yep, I’m that kind of gardener), while my dutchie went for his first spring stroll on the bike, it didn’t take more than a couple of hours before all our extremities, from feet to ears, went deeply frozen. Many fuming cups of tea later, we came to the conclusion that maybe we shouldn’t have ignored the temperature forecast, maybe it was not just quite spring!

All in all, a perfect excuse for one more comforting winter dinner, tonight… Something spicy, colorful, and revigorating that will warm us up from the inside out. Never been a better time to give another try at the dutch classic red cabbage stew, with small chunks of cooking apple and a hint of five spice. A great meat-lover-proof winter vegetable stew (ask my dutchie… well, as long as there’s a little meat on the side too though) and a winning match with game and winter roasts.

Slow-cooked red cabbage and apple stew
Rode kool met appeltjes

serves 8 pers.
prep: 10 min. cook: 3hrs

Ingredients:
1 red cabbage (~1kg), shredded;
1 red onion, roughly chopped;
2 cooking apples (gold reinette), peeled, cored and roughly chopped;
1 bay leaf;
3 cloves;
6 peppercorns;
1/4 tsp cinnamon;
1/8 tsp five spice;
3 Tsp bastard sugar;
1 tsp salt;
500 ml water;
3 Tsp cider vinegar;
1 knob of butter;

In a large and deep cooking pan, melt the knob the butter and add the onion. Saute for a couple of minutes until the onion begins to sweat. Add the shreded cabbage, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns, salt. Pour the water and bring to the boil. Add the apples, cinnamon, five spice, vinegar and sugar. Toss well. Lower the heat and simmer covered for 2hrs30 to 3 hrs, or until the cabbage is tender. Toss from time to time and add a bit of water if the juices dry out.

Eet Smakkelijk*!

* Bon appétit!