Braised red cabbage with blackberries and star anise recipe

This is one of the loveliest new dishes I've cooked for a long time, and it can be made ahead of time and reheated. When blackberries aren't in season, you can buy frozen ones. I love the anise flavour, but if you're not partial, use half a cinnamon stick instead.

Timings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Serves

Six to eight

Ingredients

• 1 red cabbage

• 25g butter

• ½ tbsp olive oil

• 2 red onions, thinly sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 tsp mixed spice

• 2 small star anise

• 4 tbsp soft light-brown sugar

• 5 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 175g blackberries

• 2 tbsp crème de mure or crème de cassis

Method

1. Discard any soft or discoloured leaves from the outside of the cabbage. Quarter it and remove the hard core. Slice the cabbage into thin strips.

2. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy-based pan and gently sauté the onion until soft (10 to 15 minutes). Don't let it brown. Add the garlic, mixed spice and star anise and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the cabbage, sugar and balsamic and season. Turn everything over in the butter, cooking gently for about two minutes.

3. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down very low, cover the pan and cook gently for about 50 minutes, turning the cabbage over every so often. It should be lovely and soft. Add the blackberries and crème de mure or crème de cassis. Turn up the heat and cook uncovered for a couple of minutes to reduce the cooking juices and soften the berries. The cabbage should be glossy and moist but not watery.

4. Taste for seasoning and a balance of sweet and sour. Remove the star anise before serving.