Last weekend, as part of my preparation for Christmas, I made our traditional Swedish-style red cabbage. I love it. I’ll just put it out there and say that I often eat it for breakfast on boxing day with toast and ham. And the day after that (if there’s any left). It’s a bitch to make – roughly 1 1/2 to 2 hours from beginning to end – but it is well worth the effort and it has to be done. I make it a few weeks before Christmas and freeze it so it’s one less thing to worry about at Christmas. During the year, I often make it with green cabbage, but I only make it with red at Christmas.

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup butter + 1/3 cup extra
1 x red onion, finely sliced
2 granny smith apples, grated
1 x 2kg red cabbage, finely sliced
1 cup caster sugar
2 1/3 cups white vinegar

1. Heat olive oil in a large cassarole dish on the stovetop over high heat. Add butter and cook until butter bubbles.
2. Add onion and cook for 1-2 minutes until soft.
3. Add apples and cook for a further 1 minute.
4. Add as much cabbage as you can fit and allow to cook down before adding more, repeating until all the cabbage has been added.
5. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated.
6. Add sugar and vinegar and stir to combine.
7. Cook for a further 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is really tender and all the liquid has evaporated.
8. Finish with extra butter and serve hot (but equally as good cold!).

Serves 12 as part of a buffet