Braised red cabbage with apple

This is adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe which originally had bacon in it – if you want to revert to the original - add 250g smoked streaky bacon finely chopped to the fennel seeds and cook for 5 minutes before proceeding. Serves 4 as a side dish.

Ingredients

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs fennel seeds, bashed
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 eating apples, peeled and chopped into 2.5cm/1 inch pieces
• 1 red cabbage, outer leaves and core removed, chopped into irregular chunks
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 150ml balsamic vinegar

Method

Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a saucepan, get it hot and add the fennel seeds (and bacon if using). Cook until golden then add the onion and continue to cook, with the lid on, for a few more minutes until golden and sticky. Add the apple, followed by the cabbage chunks, salt and pepper and the vinegar, and stir everything together well. Put the lid back on and continue to cook on a low heat for an hour, checking and stirring every so often. You will end up with a delicious sticky-sweet cabbage dish.