Choux rouges braisés à l’alsacienne (Alsatian braised red cabbage, Rotkrut in dialect) is the indispensable accompaniment to every Alsatian game dish, roast goose, and choucroute garnie variant: a slow-braised preparation of shredded red cabbage with apples, onions, wine, and warm spices that transforms a humble vegetable into a side dish of remarkable depth and complexity. The cabbage (1 medium head, approximately 1kg) is quartered, cored, and shredded into thin ribbons of 3-4mm width. The shredding must be fine — thick pieces remain tough and chewy even after long braising. In a heavy casserole, 50g of goose fat (the signature cooking fat of Alsace, infinitely preferable to butter for this dish) is heated, and a large sliced onion is sweated until translucent. The shredded cabbage is added in batches, each batch wilted before adding the next, along with 2 peeled and diced tart apples (Boskoop or Granny Smith), a tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, a glass of Pinot Noir, the warm spices (2 cloves, a cinnamon stick, 3 juniper berries, 2 bay leaves), salt, and pepper. The pot is covered tightly and braised at 150°C for 2-2.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the cabbage is completely tender, deep purple-red, and the liquid has reduced to a glossy, jammy consistency. The vinegar is not optional: the acid preserves the cabbage’s vibrant red-purple colour (without acid, red cabbage turns an unappetising blue-grey during cooking, as the anthocyanin pigments shift their spectrum in alkaline conditions). The apple dissolves during cooking, contributing natural sweetness and body to the braising liquid. Some versions add a handful of raisins or a spoonful of redcurrant jelly for extra sweetness. The finished choux rouges should taste of sweet-sour balance, warm spice, and deep, fruity complexity.
Fine shred (3-4mm). Cook in goose fat. Tart apple for sweetness and body. Red wine vinegar essential for colour preservation (acid maintains anthocyanin pigments). Warm spices: cloves, cinnamon, juniper, bay. Braise covered at 150°C for 2-2.5 hours.
Add the vinegar at the start AND a final splash at the end for a brighter colour and sharper tang. The braised cabbage improves dramatically when reheated the next day, making it ideal for advance preparation. A tablespoon of blackcurrant liqueur (crème de cassis) added at the end deepens both colour and flavour.
Shredding too thick, leaving tough pieces. Omitting the vinegar, causing the cabbage to turn grey-blue. Braising at too high a temperature, which dries the cabbage. Not enough fat, producing lean, astringent cabbage. Using a light-coloured vinegar (red wine vinegar contributes colour as well as acid).
La Cuisine Alsacienne (Simone Morgenthaler)