Bavarian Cabbage
Budget Recipes Side Dishes Vegetables Gluten-Free Recipes German and Austrian
Cabbage prepared German-style, but to my taste. I tried eating cabbage prepared this way in Germany and Czech Republic, but I couldn't get past the aggressive vinegar flavor. Now that I've prepared it with my own hands, I managed to balance the sweet-sour taste to my liking. I also chose to make it in the oven because the heat is much easier to control than on the stovetop. It's an excellent side dish for any meat (grilled pork chop, smoked ham hock), but can also be served with boiled potatoes or rice.
Ingredients
white cabbage (1.2 kg)
100 g bacon (or other smoked meat; smoked pancetta or speck)
1 medium onion (about 100 g)
100 ml dry white wine
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (or 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar)
1 level tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 bay leaf
250 ml chicken stock
250 g starchy potatoes (2 medium)
1 generous tablespoon butter
salt, black pepper
Servings: 4-5
How to prepare bavarian cabbage
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt so the water is pleasantly salty.
- Cut the cabbage in half, then each half into 2 or 3 pieces. Place in the boiling water. Cover and leave for 3 minutes. Transfer the cabbage to a bowl with cold water. Change the water repeatedly until it no longer warms up.
- Drain the cabbage pieces very well. Cut out the core, then chop into approximately 1 cm squares.
- In a wide pot (about 24-26 cm), place the bacon cut into strips. Let it fry, starting on low heat until it releases its fat. When it starts to brown, remove the bacon from the pot - don't let it become crispy.
- Add the butter over the bacon fat. When the butter melts, add the finely chopped onion and sauté until very soft (about 5 minutes).
- Add the cabbage, mixing well. Add salt and black pepper. Cover and let it steam for 5 minutes.
- Add the wine, vinegar, and sugar and let it simmer until the liquid reduces almost completely (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- Add the bacon, caraway seeds, and bay leaf, and stir. Taste for salt.
- Add the chicken stock and cover the pot. Bake at 150°C for 30 minutes. Add the raw potatoes grated on the coarse side of the grater, stir, and cover again. Bake for another 45 minutes.
- At the end, there should be almost no liquid left in the pot, just a thin layer of glossy, silky sauce at the bottom. It's also good reheated.
Blanching the cabbage
Cabbage chopped into squares
Bacon has rendered its fat
Sautéing the onion
Pot with cabbage goes into the oven
