I always seem to crave German food October and January. No, not because of Oktoberfest (mid September to early October), rather because of regular visits to Köln, Nürnberg, Lübeck, and viele kleine Städte--many small towns--in my corporate past sourcing confection, Christmas ornaments, and toys for various national specialty retailers. Although I'm an omnivore and don't eat meat everyday, when in Deutschland my buyers and I would thrive on many types of cured meats and sausages three times a day.
Particularly memorable are the simple Nürnberger bratwurst, a type of small Weisswurst, served with a good mustard, sauerkraut, and local beer, especially Kölsch!
Rather than wait up to a month for sauerkraut to ferment, Donald made a cabbage salad for me inspired by sauerkraut. Our local grocer had Weisswurst (not Nürnberger, but very good), and our neighbor Jeff shared a cold beer so we could complete this photo and our meal.
Es war sehr gut--it was very good--and quite simple, too.
Wash and trim discolored leaves. Cut in half and core the cabbage.
Slice each half of the cabbage into thin shreds using a mandolin set to about ⅛ of an inch. Put the sliced cabbage into a large bowl.
Cut the bacon into half inch pieces and add to a cold pan that is small enough so that the bacon fat pools around the meat to help with even cooking. We used an 8” fry pan. Slowly heat the pan on medium low heat and cook the bacon until the fat renders and the meat starts to become crisp and turn a light golden color. Stir often to ensure the bacon cooks evenly. Remove the bacon from the fat, and drain on paper towels.
Whisk the Bianco Vinegar and mustard in a small bowl and then slowly whisk in the Coratina EVOO until the vinaigrette is completely emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the bacon will provide some sodium, too.
Toss the sliced cabbage with the bacon, setting aside some of the bacon to sprinkle on top, and add the vinaigrette a little at a time to achieve your preferred amount. We like a lightly dressed salad, so had a bit of vinaigrette left over. We leave it to you to determine how much to use. What’s left is a good multi-purpose vinaigrette.
Recipe Note
When we set about writing this recipe we made a half batch and considered that it would serve 3 people, thus an entire 2 pound cabbage would be suitable for 6 people. Ha! We were wrong! You'll note that I've written that the recommended serving size is for 4 people as a side dish. As you've likely reckoned, Donald and I eat the food that is depicted in the accompanying recipes. We shared the sausage (quite salty, but delicious!) and enjoyed the cabbage very much, wishing we'd made the full recipe.
This recipe is a very simple and another way to enjoy the Coratina and Bianco Balsamic Vinegar you have in your pantry. Guten Appetit!
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