Braised red cabbage Madrid style | Lombarda a la Madrileña
In my family we eat this dish of braised red cabbage with apples as a starter on Christmas Eve. I’m a born and bred Madrileño and this is a very traditional Christmas dish; in fact I can’t recall a Christmas without it. My great aunty Tere is always in charge of this dish but I am the one she gives it first to try, to check if it’s missing something. I have learned from the best.
INGREDIENTS
50 ml olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red cabbage, finely shredded
2 sweet red apples, cored and thinly sliced
8–10 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar
1 generous teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 cracked black peppercorns
1 clove
Preparation
Heat the oil in a large pan over a low heat and start frying the garlic and onion. After 5 minutes add the red cabbage and fry for 10 minutes. Then add remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
Add enough water to cover and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid or make a cartouche with parchment paper and place it on top. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 45 minutes. The cooking time will depend on how soft you like it. The liquid should have reduced down to about half. Serve in a soup plate and eat with a spoon.
[Omar’s tip]
I like this dish exactly as it is but you could do what some families do and add a few raisins along with the other ingredients or scatter over a few toasted pine nuts before serving.
