SFist in the Kitchen: Cabbage
Okay, we know what you're thinking. Cabbage? Isn't that just a big Brussels sprout? Isn't it cheating to do them back to back?
Yes. In fact, we thought about just pointing you to Seattlest Molly's eloquent ode to cabbage and ending this post there. But then we realized that we should do our own part to promote this vegetable, which, like turnips, has something of a bad rep.
Most cabbage naysayers probably dislike the bitter, sulphury, pungent flavors this widespread family of vegetables produces when mishandled by the cook. But properly prepared, cabbage's nutty flavor and tactile crunch are lovely elements in a dish. Combine standard Savoy cabbage with a stunning red-purple version, and you'll have a colorful course on the dinner table.
Photos by Melissa Schneider
The Cook's Illustrated crew did a thorough investigation of cabbage cookery, and decided that a combination braise-sauté kept the crunch and added flavor. Heat a good amount of fat (say two tablespoons of butter), add half a cup of liquid (stock, beer, whatever), bring to a boil and reduce slightly before adding one pound of shredded cabbage. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the strips have softened, seven or eight minutes. We sautéed sausages in two tablespoons of duck fat before we added the cabbage and half a cup of beer. Naturally, drink more of the same beer with this dish.
Raw cabbage adds fantastic texture to a salad. Shred cabbage and lightly salt it for an hour or more to extract some of the water that would otherwise leech into the dressing. Rinse in cold water to remove some of the bitter compounds that get created as you cut the leaves. We paired succulent and tender braised duck legs with a crunchy salad of red and green cabbage combined with apple, fennel, and a dressing of red onion, honey, vinegar, and tarragon.
Which brings us to our next point. What should you serve with cabbage? Duck. Open Chez Panisse Vegetables and you'll find numerous ways to combine cabbage and parts of ducks. Since we consider it our sacred mission to promote waterfowl as a superior alternative to chicken, we're happy to recommend this flavor combination.
As good as raw or cooked cabbage can be, you could easily argue that it reaches its true glory when pickled. Every Asian cuisine seems to have some form of fermented cabbage, but none have the international recognition of Korea's kimchee (which is actually a generic term for a number of pickled vegetables). Cross the Atlantic instead of the Pacific, and you'll find Europe's famous fermented cabbage: sauerkraut. We're thinking of starting a batch soon, if only so that we can make a big dish of choucroute, which combines pork chops, sausage, sauerkraut and apples for a hearty meal or three.