Sour Cabbage (Kislaya Kapusta)
sour cabbage differs from sauerkraut in that it sits only long enough to sour, not ferment, and so is easier to prepare. Sour cabbage salad is practically an institution in the Soviet Union, garnishing meals at both lunch and dinner.
The recipe given here is guaranteed foolproof, however, and makes a salad to put any Soviet cafe to shame.
Ingredients
- 2 lb (900 g) white cabbage
- 2 small bay leaves
- 1 large carrot, scraped
- ¼ teaspoon caraway seed
- 1 large tart apple, peeled and cored
- ¼ teaspoon dill seed
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 8 allspice berries
- 8 black peppercorns
- Thinly sliced onion
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil
Details
Serves: 8
Method
Step 1
Shred the cabbage, carrot and apple very finely. (This is most easily done in a food processor.) Put the shredded vegetables in a large bowl and sprinkle them with the salt. Leave them to sit for 1 hour, and then squeeze the juice out through a strainer, reserving it. There should be about ¾ pint (450 ml) of expressed juice.
Step 2
Place a quarter of the shredded vegetables in a 1½ pint (900 ml) jar. Top with half a bay leaf, 2 peppercorns, 2 allspice berries and a quarter of the caraway and dill seeds. Cover with more shredded vegetables, and continue the process until there are 4 layers.
Step 3
Pour the reserved juice over the layered cabbage; it should cover it. Cover the mouth of the jar with muslin and leave it to stand at room temperature for 4 days. Then cover the jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To serve, cut a few thin slices of onion. Toss each portion of sour cabbage with some onion, a pinch of sugar and a few drops of vegetable oil.
If you don’t like this salad, how about Fruity Brown Rice Salad?
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