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In Danish, My Mom Called This Rødkål
Growing up, my mom would serve red cabbage with a lot of our meals especially when she served pork. Pork roasts, pork chops, leftover pork with potatoes and onions. Didn’t matter, there was always a serving of red cabbage on the side.
Fortunately for me, I liked the taste of the sweet and tart flavors of her red cabbage but now that I think back, I don’t remember my mom ever making red cabbage from scratch. As far back as I can remember, it always came from a jar.
Where she purchased these jars of red cabbage is a mystery to me. My recollection is the labels were in Danish so either she shopped at Scandinavian store near us (doubtful), she brought it back with her from her many trips to Denmark or she purchased an American brand of red cabbage.
Making Your Own Red Cabbage
I thought it would be fun to prepare my own Danish red cabbage and found this recipe in Trina Hahnemann’s The Scandinavian Cookbook. Chef Trina is a well know Danish chef and food writer and was nice enough to do an interview with me. See Interview with Trina Hahnemann.
What I didn’t know about red cabbage is how red currant jelly is used to help give it its dark red coloring. In looking at other recipes for Danish red cabbage, I noticed a lot of them included apples but this one doesn’t and I’m not sure why. It seems to me the apples help give the dish some of its tartness. I’ll make them optional.
Chef Trina’s recipe also calls for duck fat, an item that is not always easy to find in your local supermarket. I substituted butter but I’m sure the duck fat version is incredible.
📖 Recipe
Print Recipe
Danish Red Cabbage Recipe
Just like my mor made it at home.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time2 hours hrs
Total Time2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Danish
Keyword: red cabbage
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- ¼ cup duck fat
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium head cabbage
- 1 yellow onion
- ¾ cup red wine
- ½ cup superfine sugar
- ¼ cup red current jelly
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 10 whole cloves
- 2 tablespoons apple grated, optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Remove the tough outer leaves from the cabbage, wash and core the head. Slice the head in half from top to bottom. Laying each half down on a cutting board, slice the cabbage in big thick slices or finely cut thin slices.
Really depends on how you like your red cabbage.
Preheat a large pan, big enough to hold all the cabbage, add duck fat or butter and when it’s good and hot, add the cabbage.
Cook over medium to medium-high heat until the cabbage gets shiny but not browned.
Add the onion, red wine, sugar, red currant jelly, vinegar, cinnamon stick, and cloves to the pan.
Season with some salt and pepper.
If you are using optional apples, now’s the time to add them.
Cover the pot, lower the heat and simmer for approximately 2 hours until the cabbage is “dark purple and shiny.”
Remove the onion, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and if needed, some additional sugar. You want it to be a little sweet, but not too much.
Notes
You can serve this right away with the rest of your meal but it really does get better when served the following day. Historically, this is a traditional Danish side dish served with stuffed loin of pork or goose on Christmas Day.
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I'm a work-at-home dad who enjoys cooking, learning everything I can about the culinary world and sharing it with you. To learn more about me... Read More…
Reader Interactions
Comments
Thank You
This is by far the most traditional recipe I've seen, very much like my mother's recipe! She is almost 90 and was telling me the steps, thank you for refreshing our memory. Have a wonderful New Year!
Great recipe
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FAQs
Red and green cabbage can be used interchangeably in most recipes. The difference between cooking green cabbage and red cabbage is just one extra step. The compounds that give red cabbage its color, called anthocyanins, are water-soluble and will turn an unappetizing blue color when cooked.
What's the difference between radicchio and red cabbage? ›
Often mistaken for each other in the grocery store, Chioggia radicchio and red cabbage are actually two different plants. Radicchio has a strong bitter taste with thinner and less waxy leaves than cabbage. Red cabbage has a milder taste and thicker, crunchier leaves with a more uniform purple color.
Why does red cabbage turn blue? ›
The compounds that give fruits and vegetables their red color are very sensitive to acidity. As long as they are acidic they stay red, but when they become non-acidic they turn blue. When you sauté red cabbage, the acids evaporate off and it can turn blue.
What is the healthiest way to eat red cabbage? ›
You can add this versatile vegetable to soups, stews, salads, and coleslaw. It's delicious raw, steamed, sautéed, or fermented. It retains the most nutrients when it's eaten raw but is still highly nutritious when cooked. The flavor becomes a little milder when you cook it.
Is red cabbage healthier than green cabbage? ›
Red cabbage beats out the green version of the vegetable when it comes to nutritional content. Reducing inflammation and guarding against some cancers are just two of the health benefits believed to be the result of eating red (or purple) cabbage, per Healthline.
Is red cabbage the healthiest vegetable? ›
Being rich in compounds like sulforaphane and anthocyanins, red cabbage is certainly one vegetable to add to your diet. These beneficial compounds appear to prevent oxidative damage and possibly act in protective way against cancer, including colorectal cancer.
Why is red cabbage so expensive? ›
Generally, cabbage needs a lot of water to grow and if there's not enough it can't reach reach its full bloom. Thus, this leads to a shortage of cabbage, leading its prices to go up. Cabbage is a crop that grows best during specific times, making it challenging for farmers.
Is red cabbage healthier than lettuce? ›
Which should you choose? If you're looking for the healthier option of the two, choose cabbage. Lettuce varieties such as red leaf lettuce and romaine are also good options. Cabbage, including green and red cabbage, is typically higher in vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds than iceberg lettuce.
How can you tell if red cabbage has gone bad? ›
You may also notice a strange or off smell if red cabbage is spoiling. Red cabbage should feel firm and robust, but if it starts to feel slimy or overly soft, it's likely past its prime. In any of these cases, it's best to discard the cabbage. Always store red cabbage in the fridge.
Can you just boil red cabbage? ›
Red cabbage can also be boiled. To preserve the crunch, cook in salted boiling water with a teaspoon of vinegar for 5 minutes unless a softer consistency is desired in which case cook for a little longer.
Red cabbage react with basic or acidic solutions, that is a very good PH test, blue indicate that your meal is quite alkaline. Are you adding baking soda to your cabbage ? That will explain everything. Add a bit of lemon juice or vinegar, to make it red again !
Why do you soak red cabbage in water? ›
Crisp it up: Shredded cabbage stays perky if it's soaked in cold water. This also helps cut the pungent edge. Drain well before combining with other ingredients.
How often should you eat red cabbage? ›
To get the most benefit, try to consume ½ to ¾ cup cooked or 1 ½ cup raw cabbage per day at least 5 days per week. This is pretty easy to do since there are so many ways to prepare cabbage. Traditional methods of steaming or boiling cabbage can extract flavor and nutrients.
How do you take the bitterness out of red cabbage? ›
I prefer to keep it simple – fresh lemon juice does the job just as well. Add a little salt and the two combine to help draw out some of the fluid and bitterness, making the cabbage slightly softer and easy one the palate.
Can red cabbage be boiled like green cabbage? ›
Red cabbage can also be boiled. To preserve the crunch, cook in salted boiling water with a teaspoon of vinegar for 5 minutes unless a softer consistency is desired in which case cook for a little longer.
Does red cabbage taste different when cooked? ›
Red cabbage has a bolder, more peppery, and almost floral flavor as compared with regular green cabbage, which is milder and more vegetal. Cooking it tends to mellow the flavors, and it can also bring out sweet notes as well.
Does red cabbage taste the same as green cabbage when cooked? ›
Size And Taste
Aside from the noticeable difference in color, red cabbage has an earthier taste and bulbs are smaller and denser. Green cabbage tends to turn sweeter when it cooks and a little bigger in size than the red.
Does cabbage and red cabbage taste the same? ›
While similar in flavor to its green counterpart, red cabbage tends to have a more pronounced earthy taste, complemented by a subtle underlying sweetness. This vibrant vegetable easily elevates coleslaws and salads with its bold color and distinctive crunch.
I'm a work-at-home dad who enjoys cooking, learning everything I can about the culinary world and sharing it with you. To learn more about me... Read More…