Ingredients
- 1 small red cabbage, finely shredded
- 2 tart apples, peeled and sliced
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 60 ml Québec maple syrup
- 120 ml red wine vinegar
- 135 ml vegetable stock
- 30 g butter
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 1 tsp salt
Method
- Melt the butter in a heavy pot and soften the onion for 5 minutes.
- Add the cabbage, apples, maple syrup, vinegar, stock, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently for 60 minutes.
- Uncover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until glossy and tender.
- Remove the spices and adjust the maple-vinegar balance before serving.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 50 g granulated sugar
Conversion used: Replace 50 g sugar with 60 ml maple syrup and reduce the traditional stock from 180 ml to 135 ml; no oven adjustment is needed.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple rounds the cabbage's acidity and complements the apples without masking their flavor. Slow braising also makes economical winter produce richly aromatic.
General rule: 1 cup (250 ml) sugar ≈ 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup; reduce liquids by 45–60 ml per cup of syrup and lower oven by 15 °C. Substitution calculator →