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I love the traditions of Christmas and we have so many. One of them for us is that Christmas dinner wouldn’t be Christmas dinner without red cabbage. It’s Neil’s favourite so I make it all year round. It’s full of all the Christmas flavours we know and love, apple, cranberry and cinnamon, you name it! Make it a day or two before Christmas day to save yourself some time. Get it out the fridge at 11am when you’re pouring yourself another Bucks Fizz. We pop the cork before we open the first present.

Simply warm it up when you’re ready to serve dinner.

Serves 4 generously

Ingredients

1 small red cabbage

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 apples

2 star anise

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon all spice

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

100ml apple juice

1 heaped tablespoon cranberry sauce

Salt and pepper to season

( 4 knobs of butter and 2 tablespoons honey to stir through when you reheat).

Method

Pre heat oven to 170C / 150C fan

Finely slice your red cabbage and set aside.

Finely slice your apple and add to a large roasting dish with your vegetable oil.

Now add the sliced cabbage and all the other ingredients, stirring well.

Stir to combine, cover and roast in the oven on the middle shelf for approximately 2 and a half hours. Check every now and then, giving a little stir.

Once the cabbage is soft as velvet, remove from oven and don’t forget to remove the star anise.

Once cool store in the fridge until ready to use in the next day or so.

To serve simply transfer to a pan, add the knobs of butter and extra honey, season to your liking and stir until nice and hot.

Merry Christmas.