Preparation

• Heat a large, straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon slices and sauté, turning, until crisped. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain; when cool enough to handle, crumble and set aside. Drain all but 2 Tbs. of the fat from the skillet. Add the onion, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. There should be as little browning as possible, though the onions will look brown from the bacon fat.
• Add the cabbage, broth, and salt. Simmer, covered, until the cabbage is tender, about 30 minutes, stirring and checking occasionally to make sure there’s enough liquid in the pan, adding a bit more if needed. Stir in the diced apples; simmer, covered, until the apples are well softened and the cabbage is meltingly tender, about 10 minutes.
• Raise the heat to medium high to boil off any remaining liquid; the compote should be moist but there should be no excess liquid in the pan. Stir in the crumbled bacon, adjust the seasonings, and serve.