- ½ red cabbage
- ½ red onion
- 150g pears
- A thumb of ginger
- A handful of thyme
- 20g honey
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ cinnamon stick
- Sea salt + black pepper
- 100ml cold water
- 1.
Halve, then quarter the red cabbage. Slice out the thick, hard core in the middle and peel off any torn outer leaves. Finely slice the cabbage. Pop it into a colander and give it a good rinse.
- 2.
Peel and finely slice the red onion. Quarter the pears and slice out the cores and seeds. Finely chop the pears (no need to peel). Peel and grate the ginger. Pick the leaves off the thyme sprigs.
- 3.
Pour the honey into a bowl and stir in the red wine vinegar to mix.
- 4.
Pop a third of the cabbage in the bottom of a large casserole dish or heavy-based pan. Top with half the red onion, pears, ginger and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Pop the cinnamon in the middle of the cabbage.
- 5.
Top with another third of the cabbage, then the rest of the red onion, pears, ginger and thyme. Season and top with the last of the cabbage. Pour the honey and vinegar mixture over the cabbage. Add 100ml cold water. Pop on a lid.
- 6.
Put the pan on a medium heat and bring to the boil. Once it’s boiling, turn the heat right down to low. Simmer for 1 hr till the cabbage is soft. Stir a few times, making sure the cabbage isn’t sticking. If it is, turn the heat down even lower and add a splash more water.
- 7.
Taste the cabbage and adjust the seasoning if you think it needs it. Spoon into a serving dish, discarding the star anise if you spot it. Serve straight away.
