Braised Red Cabbage with Pears & Balsamic

1. Halve and quarter the red cabbage. Slice out the woody core. Peel off and discard any ragged outer leaves, then finely slice the cabbage. Pop into a colander and rinse well. Shake dry.

2. Trim, peel and finely slice the red onion. Peel the pears. Quarter them and slice out the cores. Finely chop the pears.

3. Add a third of the cabbage to a large casserole dish or heavy-based pan. Top with half the red onion and pears. Add 1 bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Top with another third of the cabbage, then the rest of the red onion and pears. Season and add the second bay leaf. Top with the last of the cabbage.

4. Mix the honey and balsamic vinegar together in a bowl till they’re smoothly combined. Add 2 tbsp cold water and mix again. Pour over the cabbage. Pop on a lid, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to very low. Gently cook for 45 mins till the cabbage is soft. Stir occasionally. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed. Transfer to a serving dish and serve straight away.