My spiced red cabbage (recipe below) has long been a staple at my Christmas table. The colour is just fantastic. You can also make this three days ahead.
And now on to the perfect roast potatoes, which always leads to debates on the best way to get the spud fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside.
Potatoes cooked in goose fat are fantastic but beef dripping is having a big comeback. It’s healthier than goose fat and does just as good a job, I mix it with the fat from the roast. King Edwards or Maris Pipers are the best varieties and I always par-boil them first.
Next week I will tackle the big bird.
Spiced red cabbage
Serves 6
Serve with turkey, potatoes and homemade cranberry sauce
Ingredients
50g butter
800g red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
6 cloves
2 inch piece of ginger
100ml apple cider vinegar
70g brown sugar
350g cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Place the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or casserole dish and place over a medium heat.
2. Once the butter has melted, stir in the shredded cabbage and onion, stir well and cook for a few minutes to soften. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the spices. Pour in the cider vinegar and sugar and allow to cook for a further five minutes.
3. Place the sliced apples on top, cover and leave for 10 minutes. After that, remove the lid, stir and leave to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes.
