Russian sauerkraut with cranberries (Kvashenaya kapusta s klyukvoy)

1. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage (set a few nice ones aside), cut out the core and shred the cabbage finely. Coarsely grate the carrots.

2. In a large bowl mix the cabbage, carrots, salt and sugar, then knead vigorously by hand for 5 minutes until the cabbage releases its juice and softens.

3. Mix in the caraway seeds and two thirds of the cranberries.

4. Pack tightly layer by layer into a large clean jar or ceramic crock – the released juice must cover the cabbage; cover the top with the reserved leaves and weigh down with a small weight.

5. Ferment at room temperature for 3-5 days; every day pierce the cabbage to the bottom in several places with a wooden stick to let the gases escape, and skim off the foam. When it's pleasantly sour, move it to the fridge.

6. To serve, top with the remaining fresh cranberries, a little sunflower oil and onion rings and serve as a salad.

Tip: Cranberries (klyukva) not only add ruby-red dots and a pleasant tartness but also act as a natural preservative that helps the fermentation; if you can't get fresh ones, frozen are fine.