3 Simple Tricks To Elevate Your Cabbage
This isn’t you’re usual cabbage recipe, thats because this recipe is all about bending the rules by taking a ordinary set of ingredients and making something extra-ordinary.
So the popular consensus is cabbage is boring and nothing can be done to really change that, but I want to challenge that belief with this particular recipe.
I decided to take some inspiration from classical French cooking techniques and apply them to this humble cabbage
This recipe is anything but boring, the cabbage has a deep, naturally sweet flavour, the texture in the centre is buttery. The best thing is this recipe isn’t complicated, it comes together quick, uses one pan and doesn’t require too much knife work.
So in this blog post I’m going to share these simple steps with you, including all the little details you can can go and make cabbage that people crave!
3 Simple Tricks To Elevate Your Cabbage
This recipe will break through the common consensus that cabbage is boring. I'll show you how to get the most of of your cabbage with a simple set of ingredients and techniques.
Ingredients
- 1 head of cabbage
- 20-40ml Olive oil
- 30-40g of butter
- Dessert spoon of capers
- A small handful of parsley
- 1/2 a lemon
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Pan-Fried Cabbage with Lemon & Caper Beurre Noisette
Step 1 - Prepare and Char the Cabbage
1. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat
2. Add a splash of oil (about a dessert spoon) to the pan.
3. Place four cabbage wedges in the pan. If they fit snugly, they will shrink as they cook.
4. Monitor the oil level. If the pan looks dry or the cabbage is charring unevenly, add a touch more oil.
5. Regularly flip, move, and spin the cabbage wedges to achieve an even char on all sides. The goal is to brown the cabbage, not cook it through at this stage.
Step 2 - Braise the Cabbage
1. Once the cabbage wedges are evenly browned, add a small pat of butter (10-15 g).
2. Move the pan to ensure the butter spreads beneath the cabbage.
3. Add a small shot of water to create steam and prevent the butter from burning.
4. Cover the pan with a lid (improvise if needed).
5. Cook for 5-8 minutes over medium heat (setting 5 out of 9 on induction).
Step 3 - Finish the Cabbage
1. Remove the lid and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the water evaporates, and you hear a frying sound. This will re-crisp the cabbage edges.
2. Remove the cabbage from the pan and set aside.
Step 4 - Make the Lemon & Caper Beurre Noisette
1. Wipe out any heavily charred bits from the pan.
2. Add 20-30 g of butter to the pan and melt it over medium-high heat.
3. Stir continuously until the butter turns a rich golden brown color.
4. Add a dessert spoon of capers and the juice of half a lemon to the pan. This cools the sauce slightly and balances the flavor.
5. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes to enhance the caper flavor.
6. Remove from heat and season if using unsalted butter. For salted butter, no additional seasoning should be necessary.
7. Stir in some chopped parsley and a pinch of black pepper to finish.
Step 5 - Serve
1. Pour the lemon and caper beurre noisette over the cabbage wedges.
2. Enjoy this rich, tangy dish as a perfect side or light main course.