Following my intuition rather than a recipe I broke my red cabbage routine. The original recipe contains apples and onions which gave the distinct savoury-sweet flavour.

This time I used dry golden figs and cooked chestnuts to add sweetness and body. I was happy to find that the cabbage was no longer merely a side dish but had been transformed into a filling meal.

Red Cabbage with Figs and Chestnuts

2 tbs butter

1/2 head of red cabbage, thinly sliced

4 dry figs, thinly sliced

100g cooked chestnuts, minced

5 splashes of Tabasco sauce

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tbs paprika powder

1 ts thyme

2 cups of water

salt and pepper to taste

fresh greens to decorate

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the cabbage and braise until slightly wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the figs and the chestnuts and stir. Add Tabasco, vinegar, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper and stir again to coat evenly.

Add 2 cups of water.

Now reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the cabbage is tender. It takes about 30 minutes, but have a look from time to time and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Decorate with fresh greens. Enjoy!