Name: Marinaded Red Cabbages for Hors-d’œuvre
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 96 h 30 min
Yield: About 2 quarts
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 small red cabbage (about 2 lb / 900 g), cored and cut into a fine julienne; 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 36 g) fine table salt; 4 cups (950 ml / 950 g) raw red wine vinegar with 5% acidity, or enough to cover; 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed; 2 teaspoons (10 ml / 4 g) black peppercorns; 1 bay leaf; 4 cups (950 ml / about 950 g) Cooked Marinade for Venison (No. 168), completely cooled, optional in place of the vinegar and separate aromatics

Question 1

How long does chou rouge mariné take to make?

Accepted Answer

Allow four days for fully flavored chou rouge mariné: refrigerate the salted red cabbage for 48 hours, drain it for 30 minutes, then marinate it in red wine vinegar for 48 hours. For a shorter schedule, preserve the full salting period and reduce only the vinegar rest to 24 hours.

Question 2

How thin should I slice red cabbage for this French pickle?

Accepted Answer

Slice the cored red cabbage across the grain into an even julienne about 1/16 inch, or 2 millimeters, wide. Fine strands salt and soften uniformly while retaining crispness. Thick pieces remain stiff and raw-tasting, and the 48-hour salted maceration cannot correct uneven knife work.

Question 3

Should I rinse the red cabbage after salting it?

Accepted Answer

Drain the salted red cabbage for 30 minutes and taste one strand before rinsing. If the cabbage tastes distinctly seasoned but pleasant, do not rinse it. If it tastes fiercely salty, rinse once under very cold water, drain for another 30 minutes, and press dry. Never soak the cabbage.

Question 4

What vinegar should I use for chou rouge mariné?

Accepted Answer

Use raw red wine vinegar labeled at 5% acidity, adding enough to cover every strand of red cabbage. The vinegar can instead be brought just to a boil, but it must cool completely before use because warm vinegar softens the fine julienne. Add more full-strength vinegar if needed, never water.

Question 5

How do I know when French pickled red cabbage is ready?

Accepted Answer

French pickled red cabbage is ready after 24 to 48 hours in vinegar when the fine strands remain crisp but bend without stiffness. The cabbage should develop a bright garnet color, and the red wine vinegar should taste seasoned with garlic, black peppercorns, and bay rather than merely sharp.

Question 6

How long does chou rouge mariné keep in the refrigerator?

Accepted Answer

Chou rouge mariné made with 5% acidity red wine vinegar keeps refrigerated for about three weeks. Keep every cabbage strand submerged and use a clean fork for each serving. This refrigerator pickle is not shelf-stable and must not be canned or stored at room temperature. Discard it for mold, active bubbling, or an unpleasant odor.

Culinary Explorer

Marinaded Red Cabbages for Hors-d’œuvre

Ingredients

red cabbage

fine table salt

raw red wine vinegar with 5% acidity

Where cooking meets culture.

Ingredient	Quantity
red cabbagecored and cut into a fine julienne	1 small head (about 2 lb / 900 g)
fine table salt	2 tablespoons (30 ml / 36 g)
raw red wine vinegar with 5% acidity	4 cups (950 ml / 950 g), or enough to cover