Winter & Christmas

Rødkål

No Danish Christmas dinner is complete without rødkål. The red cabbage is braised slowly with vinegar, sugar and redcurrant juice until soft, glossy and pleasantly sweet and sour – and it tastes even better the next day.

Finely shredded red cabbage in a white bowl
Photo: DC Central Kitchen / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Preparation
15 min
Cooking/baking time
1 h 15 min
Servings
6–8 people
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

Red cabbage

To finish

Method

  1. Remove the outer leaves, quarter the cabbage, cut out the core and slice or shred the cabbage finely.
  2. Melt the butter in a large pot and sweat the cabbage for a few minutes, stirring.
  3. Add the vinegar, redcurrant juice, sugar, salt and the cinnamon stick if using. Mix well, cover and braise over low heat for about 1 hour. Stir now and then and add a splash of water if needed.
  4. Remove the cinnamon stick. Stir in the redcurrant jelly and the grated apple if using, and simmer uncovered for another 10–15 minutes until the liquid has almost reduced.
  5. Season with vinegar, sugar and salt – the cabbage should be distinctly sweet and sour. Serve warm with flæskesteg, duck or goose.

The story behind the dish

In Denmark, rødkål is a fixed side dish on Christmas Eve. It is traditionally served with flæskesteg, duck or goose, together with caramelised and plain boiled potatoes.

The vinegar is not only there for flavour: the acid helps the cabbage keep its vivid red colour while it cooks.

Enjoy it at Dansk Cottage

A large pot of rødkål simmering slowly on the stove is part of a winter day at the cottage for us – the scent of vinegar, sugar and cinnamon drifts through the whole house.

The cottage kitchen · Discover Søby · Experience Ærø

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In the mood for Denmark?

Dansk Cottage near Søby can be booked from spring 2027 – with a spacious kitchen for exactly this kind of dish.

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