I don't like it pickled but love it braised in winter or raw in salads. Last night I softened two red onions, finely sliced, in butter, added a teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 inches of grated ginger then tossed in half a red cabbage, sliced not too fine, with about 125ml of stock and cooked it for 20 minutes then added a dash of balsamic vinegar at the end. Delish. Even Possum ate all of hers and she hates cabbage in any form.
When we do big BBQs in summer I serve sweet and sour red salad:-
250g / 8oz red cabbage, shredded
430g / 15oz tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
125g / 4oz radishes, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 or 2 red skinned apples, chopped
200g / 7oz beetroot, cooked and cut into strips
Dressing:-
4 tbs red wine vinegar
4 tbs soft brown sugar
2 tbs light soy sauce
2 tbs sunflower, safflower or grapeseed oil
Cover the cabbage with boiling water and leave for 5 minutes without further heat. Drain well.
Combine all the salad ingredients.
Combine all the dressing ingredients and taste for seasoning. Some people find it more sweet than sour so you may want to adjust the vinegar levels.
Toss the salad in the dressing and serve. The salad benefits from being left to marinate an hour or two before serving.