Sweet & Sour Spiced Cabbage

Braising cabbage with butter, apple juice, red currant jelly, and spices gives it amazingly rich flavor (the dish is an essential part of a traditional Scandinavian holiday meal). Leftovers are delicious on our iconic open faced sandwiches, smørrebrød.

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  2 oz. (4 Tbs.) salted butter
  
  


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  1 large (3-lb.) red cabbage, halved, cored, and sliced 3/4 inch thick
  
  


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  2 cups unsweetened apple juice
  
  


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  1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  
  


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  1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  
  


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  1/4 cup red currant jelly
  
  


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  3 bay leaves
  
  


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  1 cinnamon stick
  
  


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  1 star anise
  
  


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  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  

Melt the butter in a 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until just wilted, about 6 minutes. Add the apple juice, onion, vinegar, jelly, bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise, and 1 Tbs. salt. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed, until the cabbage is very tender, about 2 hours. If there is a lot of liquid in the pot, boil uncovered until only about 1/2 inch remains. Remove and discard the whole spices, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.