Sluttishly Savoury: Pappa Slut's Killer Cabbage

My granddad makes the best red cabbage EVER. I challenge any chef or cook or know-it-all to make better cabbage. (That's not a real challenge, you understand, because you might make better cabbage then my poor 87-year-old granddad would most likely cry the same way he did when I sang my first solo when I played the lead in Oliver when I was 9).

When I saw him recently, I asked him for the cabbage recipe. And he graciously gave it to me. In exchange for a small sherry. Total bargain. And, strangely, sherry is the ingredient that helps make his cabbage so great, as it happens.

You'll need:

• One large red cabbage
• One large apple
• One large onion
• Pinch of cinnamon and half that of nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons of redcurrant jelly
• A small measure of sherry
• 25g butter
• 4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons muscovado sugar
• 100ml cold water
• Salt and pepper

Make it!

• Finely chop the cabbage and onion and peel, core and grate the apple.
• Melt the butter in a large pan and add the onion - cook until the onion is translucent but not quite browning.
• Add the cabbage, vinegar, apple and sugar to the pan and combine. Then add the spices, season and add the water and the sherry.
• Stir until well blended and the sugar is all dissolved then bring the whole lot to the boil.
• Pop a tight lid on the pan and leave to simmer for an hour.
• Once the cabbage is soft and all the water has evaporated you can add the redcurrant jelly - stir through and serve.