The sweet, rich flavours of the braised red cabbage and apple are perfectly suited to quality sausages or pork and together with buttery mashed potato you have a hearty supper.

Ingredients - serves 4

2-3 sausages per person, depending on appetite
400g red cabbage
2 medium cooking apples
2 medium onions
20g brown sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
pinch each of ground cloves, cinnamon & nutmeg
4 knobs of butter
salt & pepper

4 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into large chunks
milk
butter
salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C
Trim the cabbage of its tough outer leaves and then halve, cut away the stalk from within, cut into thin shreds. Have a casserole dish ready, sprinkle in half of the cabbage and season with salt and pepper. Peel, core and coarsely chop the apple and sprinkle over the cabbage. Peel and thinly slice the onions and sprinkle over the cabbage too, together with the sugar and spices. Now cover with the remaining cabbage and season lightly again with salt and pepper before popping the knobs of butter on the top. Pour over the balsamic vinegar and transfer to the oven, with lid on. It will take around 1 1/2 - 2 hours for the cabbage to braise and become tender, turn the mixture around with a spoon several times during cooking.

Whilst the cabbage gently braises, and the plates warm, boil the potatoes in salted water, mash and mount with plenty of butter and some milk to make a luxuriously creamy mash. Grill the sausages to brown and serve astride a generous pile of braised sweet red cabbage and the buttery mash - with a glass of cider of course...