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.

• 2 oz. (4 Tbs.) salted butter
• 1 large (3-lb.) red cabbage, halved, cored, and sliced 3/4 inch thick
• 2 cups unsweetened apple juice
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup red currant jelly
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 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.