Buttered Savoy Cabbage
Simmered in water and enjoyed with just a touch of butter, fresh cabbage takes center stage in this recipe from Martha Stewart.
Ingredients:
1 Savoy cabbage
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Cut the cabbage in half, then remove thick ribs and core. Cut crosswise into 1-inch strips.
2. Place cabbage in a large skillet with 1 cup water (skillet will be very full). Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover skillet; simmer until cabbage is very tender, tossing occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Pour out any water remaining in skillet. Add butter; season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
Braised Red Cabbage
This French dish courtesy of Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cook is an excellent accompaniment to roast pork or game. The trick here is the slow-cooking process, which produces a wonderful texture and result.
Ingredients:
1 head red cabbage
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, sliced
2 cooking apples
2 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Quarter cabbage, cut out and discard core and shred the rest finely. Put cabbage in large sauce pan of boiling salted water; bring back to a boil and drain.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large casserole dish or Dutch oven, add the onion, cover and cook until translucent. Peel, quarter and slice apples thinly before adding to pot. Cook for a few minutes, then remove mixture.
3. Add cabbage to dish, layering with onion and apple mixture and sprinkling with the vinegar, sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Season to taste. Cover with thickly-buttered parchment paper and lid, bake for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until very tender.
4. Soften remaining butter in a bowl and mix in flour. Push cabbage to one side of pan, revealing liquid at bottom. Add a quarter of butter-flour mixture and stir in (liquid will thicken slightly). Push cabbage to other side of pot and repeat. Toss together, and only add more butter-flour mix if any watery liquid is still present. Season to taste with additional sugar and vinegar as needed.
Butter-Braised Savoy Cabbage
Gently cooking chopped cabbage in a bit of butter and salt creates a meltingly tender, richly-flavored side dish.
Ingredients:
1 small to medium head Savoy cabbage
3-4 tablespoons butter
Sea salt
Method:
1. Cut the cabbage in quarters, cut out and discard core, and chop cabbage into bite-size pieces.
2. Melt butter in a large frying pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, sprinkle with salt, and add 3 tablespoons of water. Stir to combine, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until cabbage is very tender and liquid is absorbed.
3. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper and serve hot.
Roasted Savoy Cabbage
Tender, golden roasted cabbage is finished with fresh lemon juice and cracked pepper in this easy recipe.
Ingredients:
1 head January King Savoy cabbage
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Lemon juice
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400° and grease a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Cut the cabbage into quarters and carve out the core. Cut each quarter into two lengthwise, and slice crosswise thinly. Place cabbage on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat.
3. Insert cabbage into oven and bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until cooked through and golden brown in places.
4. Sprinkle with black pepper, dress with a touch of lemon juice, and serve.
Roasted Savoy Cabbage with Raisins
Juicy golden raisins add sweet appeal to this roasted dish.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 large head Savoy cabbage, quartered and cored
2 ½ tablespoons peanut oil
3 tablespoons butter
2 fresh thyme sprigs
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°. Soak raisins in very hot water to cover in a small bowl 30 minutes, replacing hot water once or twice as it becomes tepid. Tear cabbage into large pieces.
2. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy ovenproof skillet or pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add cabbage in 5 batches, adding some salt and pepper with each batch, stirring, and adding next batch as previous batch begins to wilt. (Some cabbage will brown.)
3. Add butter and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until all cabbage is wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain raisins and add to cabbage, then transfer skillet to oven and roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until cabbage is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs before serving.
Buttered Radishes
These dipped radishes make for a wonderful starter or snack!
Ingredients:
Radishes, green tops intact
1 pound butter, at room temperature
2½ tablespoons fleur de sel
Method:
1. Gently wash the radishes in ice water, removing any dirt from the greens. Dry them well. Temper the butter by placing it over moderate heat.*
2. Once tempered, season the butter with the fleur de sel.
3. Dip the bottom half of the radishes into the tempered butter. Dip a second time and gently shake to remove any excess butter from the bottom. Place the butter-coated radish on a rimmed baking sheet lined with wax paper. Chill the radishes in the refrigerator until the butter is set.
*To temper butter, it’s easiest to use a double boiler, placing the butter over a pot of boiling water instead of directly heating the butter. Let the butter melt and heat up, then whisk occasionally until it thickens and stabilizes. It’s fully tempered when it has the consistency of melted chocolate.
Tempered-Butter Radishes
These dipped radishes make for a wonderful starter or snack!
Ingredients:
Mixed spring radishes, green tops intact
1 pound butter, at room temperature
2½ tablespoons fleur de sel
Method:
1. Gently wash the radishes in ice water, removing any dirt from the greens. Dry them well.
2. Temper the butter by placing it over moderate heat.* Once tempered, season the butter with the fleur de sel.
3. Dip the bottom half of the radishes into the tempered butter. Dip a second time and gently shake to remove any excess butter from the bottom. Place the butter-coated radish on a rimmed baking sheet lined with wax paper. Chill the radishes in the refrigerator until the butter is set.
*To temper butter, it’s easiest to use a double boiler, placing the butter over a pot of boiling water instead of directly heating the butter. Let the butter melt and heat up, then whisk occasionally until it thickens and stabilizes. It’s fully tempered when it has the consistency of melted chocolate.
Braised Savoy Cabbage
This versatile winter dish from Alice Waters is delightful served by itself or mixed with sliced boiled potatoes or crispy bacon.
Ingredients:
1 large (or 2 small) Savoy cabbages
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ cup white wine
½ cup chicken broth or water
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Remove the tough outer leaves of the cabbage and cut the heads in half, then into quarters. Cut out the cores and cut the quarters into thick slices. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan. Add carrots, onion and celery and cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes, or until soft. Add bay leaf, thyme, garlic and a dash more salt. Cook for another minute and then stir in the cabbage and white wine.
3. Cover and cook until the wine is mostly evaporated, about 8 minutes. Add chicken broth or water and bring liquid to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes until cabbage is tender, stirring two or three times during cooking. Season to taste with salt and white wine vinegar as needed.
Braised Savoy Cabbage with Chorizo
This versatile winter dish adapted from a Alice Waters recipe is delightful tossed with spicy Chorizo or diced bacon.
Ingredients:
1 large (or 2 small) Savoy cabbages
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
½ cup white wine
½ cup chicken broth or water
½ pound Chorizo sausage, cooked and crumbled into bite-size pieces
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Remove the tough outer leaves of the cabbage and cut the heads in half, then into quarters. Cut out the cores and cut the quarters into thick slices. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan. Add onions and cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes, or until soft. Add bay leaf, garlic and a dash more salt. Cook for another minute and then stir in cabbage and white wine.
3. Cover and cook until the wine is mostly evaporated, about 8 minutes. Add chicken broth or water and bring liquid to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes until cabbage is tender, stirring two or three times during cooking. Add in crumbled Chorizo sausage, and season to taste with salt if needed.
Smashed Sunchokes with Thyme Butter
Enriched with butter and thyme and the perfect side dish for any spring meal.
Enriched with butter and thyme and the perfect side dish for any winter spread.
Ingredients:
1 pound sunchokes, rinsed and trimmed of any dark spots
6-8 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil for frying
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Large pinch freshly picked thyme leaves
Flaky salt, such as Maldon, for serving
Method:
1. In a medium saucepan, cover the sunchokes with cold water. Season generously with salt (the water should taste nicely salted, as if you were seasoning soup). Set over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until a paring knife inserted into a sunchoke meets little resistance, about 10 minutes; be careful not to overcook.
2. Drain sunchokes using a fine-mesh strainer or colander. When cool enough to handle, place sunchokes on a work surface or cutting board. Working 1 sunchoke at a time, use the bottom of a heavy skillet to press firmly on each sunchoke until it is flattened but still in one piece; take care not to press so hard that the sunchokes break apart.
3. In a large cast iron or other heavy bottomed skillet, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add sunchokes in a single layer and cook without moving until well browned, about 3 minutes. Add more oil, if needed. Flip sunchokes, then add butter to the pan and allow to melt. Add half of the thyme to the melted butter and continue to cook, spooning butter over sunchokes, until browned on the second side, about 3 minutes longer.
4. Transfer sunchokes to a serving plate and spoon the thyme butter on top. Garnish with remaining freshly picked thyme leaves and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve immediately.