Braised Red Cabbage

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Quarter the cabbage, cut out and discard the stalk and shred the cabbage finely. Put the cabbage in a large saucepan of boiling salted water (there should be enough water to more than cover the cabbage), bring back to a boil and drain. The cabbage will now have taken on an inky blue color. This is normal, and it will regain its color later. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of the saucepan.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large flameproof casserole or Dutch oven, add the onion, cover and cook gently until transparent. Peel, quarter, core and slice the apples thinly before adding to the onion. Cook for a few minutes, then remove the mixture from the casserole.

Add the cabbage to the casserole, layering with the onion and apple mixture and sprinkling with the vinegar, sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Season with salt and pepper. You will see the red color return as the vinegar is added. Cover with thickly buttered waxed paper and the lid and bake for about 11/2 hours, or until very tender. Stir occasionally and moisten with a little extra water if necessary.

Soften the remaining butter in a bowl and mix in the flour. Push the cabbage to one side of the pan. There will be some liquid at the bottom of the casserole. Add one quarter of the butter and flour and stir. In. The liquid will thicken slightly. Repeat on the other side. Toss together and only add more butter and flour if any watery liquid is preset. A lot of flavor and seasoning is in the liquid, so it is just thickened enough to cling to the cabbage. Taste and season. The cabbage should be gently sweet and sour. It may be necessary to add a little more sugar or vinegar, to taste.