INGREDIENTS:
1 medium brown onion, cut into medium dice
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 3/8-inch thick rounds
1/2 head green cabbage, sliced or cut into 2-inch squares
1 cup white wine (such as Gewurztraminer or Riesling)
Water or light stock as needed
8 ounces of prepared chestnuts
1-2 apples such as Cameo, Granny Smith, or Golden Delicious, cut into wedges, about 1/2 inch at the base
A small sprig of rosemary OR sage, minced
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Neutral oil such as grapeseed, as needed
OPTIONAL FOR MAIN DISH:
12 small potatoes, such as Fingerlings
4 – 6 sausages, such as Corralitos German or Bavarian, either sliced in rounds or in half
METHOD:
Heat oven to 400°F.
Place 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a 3 quart sauté pan and heat over medium heat. Add onions and carrots and cook, stirring often, until onions are golden brown and sweet.
Add the cabbage, season with salt and pepper, adding more oil if needed, then turn the cabbage using tongs to coat it with the oil in the pan and mix the ingredients. Cook to add color to the cabbage and begin the wilting process.
Once the cabbage has taken on some color and is wilting, add the wine and bring it to a boil. If the wine does not come halfway up the ingredients, add some water or stock to raise the level.
Scatter the chestnuts over the dish, and then gently poke them down into the cabbage a little way. Scatter the sliced apples on top, and then sprinkle the minced rosemary or sage on top of the apples.
Put a tight-fitting lid on the pan and transfer it to the oven. Bake until the cabbage is done, about 30 minutes. Check periodically to ensure the pan doesn’t dry out. If it seems dry, add liquid.
When the cabbage is tender, the dish is done. If there is a lot of liquid left over, you could pour it off or remove the lid from the pan and cook to evaporate the liquid, which will concentrate the flavors.
OPTIONAL:
To make a complete meal in one pan, put the potatoes in the pan with the chestnuts. About 10-15 minutes prior to the dish being finished, add the sausages, gently poking the pieces into the cabbage. This bastes the sausages and imparts the smokiness of the sausage to the braise. Serve with mustard and the rest of the wine.
This dish can also be completed on the stovetop. Try not to stir the dish too much as that will cause the chestnuts to fall apart.
YIELD: 6 side dish servings, or 4 main dish servings
