Off Topic Christmas greeting from Germany

Uli Urban johannes-ulrich-urban@T-Online.de
Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:36:00 PST
Dear All,


All the best for all of you for Christmas and the New Year! Frohe
Weihnachten und ein gutes neues Jahr!

Reading the contributions about the non-bulbous Rotkohl and being 
German  I cannot help giving you the recipe for preparing it, hoping
this delicious vegetable ist available in the US.

The traditional way is using very much fat (pork fat "schmalz") but I
have reduced this without loss of flavour.

Fry onions in some Olive oil or other fat until they become translucent.
Then add a very small amount of water and the not too finely chopped
(inch long strips) raw red cabbage. The extra with this recipe is to add
peeled and chopped apple, preferably one of the sour cooking varieties.
(about one or two apples per 500g of cabbage) As spice it needs some,
not too many, cloves and laurel leaves, some salt and ground black
pepper but it should not be "hot"
Even with apples in it it needs some more acidity which will help to
preserve the purple colour. Some people use vinegar but personally I
prefer red gooseberry jelly or cranberry preserve. The sugar in it (if
it is not too much) is beneficial, small amounts of vinegar can always
be added to taste but it should not dominate..

Then cook or simmer this on low heat until the apples disintegrate and
the cabbage becomes soft, stir form time to time and make sure it does
not stick and burn to the pot. But take care not to overcook the
cabbage, the structure of the cabbage should not disintegrate.  Even
better re-heated the next day or so.
 Hmmmm......
Delicious with roast duck or goose, and maybe turkey in the US.    It is
also available ready made in tins or glasses but the home made is by far
better.....  one of the traditional winter vegs in Germany till to-day.


All the best again....     Uli


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