Cabbage could be an endless vegetable, but cookbook writer Alice Zaslavsky knows how to make the most of this inexpensive winter staple.
A head of cabbage A head of cabbage is an example of the Hydra vegetable. No matter the amount you eat, it appears that more leaders are always growing.
This same quality can give the cabbage a huge potential for growth in the present, when the shelves of grocery stores are stocked with cabbage, and wallets are less so.
Make sure you know your cabbage.
Round cabbages are white or green, based on the soil. The white variety is savory, while the green variety is spicier in flavor, and the white is milder. They can be substituted in cooking recipes for cabbage since the bitter taste of chlorophyll in the green variety diminishes when heated.
The savoy cabbage with frilly leaves performs like a similar savoy and possesses a milder flavor. Red cabbage is, however, earthy and retains its deep violet hue once cooked and can make a striking ingredient in coleslaws.
Raw sugarloaf is sweeter than Lombok, whereas the latter (otherwise called Chinese (also known as napa cabbage) is a delicious leaf and finer fiber. If you’re using it as a substitute for other varieties of cabbage in braises or soups, cut down on the cooking time.
Do not overcook it.
Although you may find some bags of cabbage wrapped in plastic, the leaves that surround it are the natural Clingwrap. If you purchase it in its entirety, take off the leaves on the outside, and the inside is ready to go without messing around cleaning.
It’s fine to utilize the outer leaves as well. However, be aware that they’re also the most fibrous and flavorful. Therefore, they need to be cooked longer or used as a “lid” for kraut. Also, you’ll need to wash them thoroughly.
To cut down on the fibrous texture of the leaves, slice the leaves along the grain like you would cut secondary cuts of meat for braises and stews.
Keep in mind that the more time you cook it, the greater the duration and the lower the cooking temperature. It’s best to blanch it fast, sauté it quickly, and then braise it gently or let the heat work (like in the case of my shchi). However, if you cook it too long (and in the wrong season), you’ll be confronted with the most bland cabbage clichés.
How to use it up
If you have one head, create an okonomiyaki. If you have two leaders two and a little time, you can make some kraut. It should show results in a matter of days, and enjoy the benefits for months as my forebears did the eastern part of Europe.
Chefs, too, have turned into cabbage patch children making flashy dishes using the humble head of cabbage, like fancy roasting cabbage.
To make it at home, make sure you turn the oven on at 200C (180C fan). Put an oven-proof pan on an oven-proof pan on medium heat. Rub the cabbage in oil, and cook for 6-8 minutes per side until delicious and darkened ( weigh it down with something sturdy to maximize your contact with the pan). Pour a few spoons of the soy sauce on the cabbage, allowing it to run through the layers. Then, carefully form a foil-like shape to cover the cabbage (wear oven gloves to ensure your hands are safe). Put the pan in the oven to cook for about 20 minutes while putting the foil in place before removing the foil and cook until the cabbage softens, typically around 5 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of sauce.
But the most coveted of all cabbage dishes from my area is the cabbage roll in which tender and sweet leaves encase a generous portion of meat and rice, cooked in a rich tomato sauce. It’s no wonder that they’re known as golubtsi (little pigeons in Russian) because they sit against one another inside the skillet.
There’s no time to roll in midweek dinners. The unrolled cabbage rolls.
Unrolled cabbage rolls in one pan recipe
If you want to make the recipe vegetarian, substitute the beef with an animal-based mince ma, marinated tempeh, or Blitzed-up mushroom.
Suppose you’re using a meat cook, the mince in one burger-sized patties. It will be juicy, and you can then pound it up and let it brown in a non-stirring manner while you make the mirepoix. It’s a mirepoix for midweek, which means that instead of cutting it into pieces, blend it using the food processor. (The blended-up paste will cook more quickly.)
When the meat and vegetables are getting a bit more friendly, You can move on to the meal with rice. If you’re making the rice from scratch, 2 cups of cooked rice will equal three-quarters of a cup of cooked grains. In other cases, you can make use of leftover rice that has been boiled or a rice pouch in the microwave – even brown rice is acceptable.
To cook your cabbage, not-rolls to a perfect consistency, use a Dutch oven or a large 32cm heavy-bottomed pan that has high sides is the best choice. You’ll be amazed at how fast the cabbage cooks, so don’t be scared to fill it with raw sheets and observe them turn into sauce.
Serves 4 to 6
Olive oil for sauté
500g minced beef
One brown onion, roughly chopped
One carrot that has been roughly chopped
One stick of celery that has been chopped roughly, as well as hearts of celery (optional) to garnish
Four cloves garlic peeled
1/2 bunch each of dill parsley leaves and fronds left stalks chopped roughly
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tsp sweet paprika, plus extra for sprinkling
1 TSP sugar
1 400g tin, tomato skins that are whole (or cherry tomatoes
500ml of beef, chicken, or vegetable broth
500g white green or savoy cabbage (either one-quarter or a full head or half of the small head) with the core and the outer leaves removed
2 cups cooked rice (250g)
Sour cream as well as olive oil extra-virgin, to serve
Make sure to heat the huge Dutch oven or a heavy-based wide pan with a high-sided side over extremely high heat. Pour into a large quantity of olive oil. Incorporate the mince and lay it out flat on the bottom of the pan in an enormous “patty” and let it cook. Once it has browned on the bottom, turn the pan around and cut it with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring it until cooked.
When the mince is kissing in a bowl of a food processor, add the carrot and onion along with celery, garlic, parsley, and dill stalks. Then, process until it is finely chopped. Often scraping from the edges of the bowl.
Once the mince is cooked to your liking, add another tablespoon of olive oil and the vegetable mixture. Cook for about 10 minutes while on medium-high flame and stirring frequently.
Stir in both the tomato paste as well as the paprika, and sauté until the mince and vegetable mix has a uniform shade of burned amber. Include the sugar along with the tomatoes that have been tinned (slosh a little water into the tin to wash off the tomato juices in the saucepan). Add the stock and bring to a boil covered. Check the taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
By pointing your knife towards the middle, chop your cabbage in 2.5cm wedges (see the photo above) and then into rectangles that are fork-friendly about 3×2 cm. The cabbage-shaped rectangles are stirred into the saucepan and then brought to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Stir the cooked rice and let it simmer for another five minutes. (After the cabbage has finished cooking, it continues to cook in the remaining heat, so if it’s still got some bite, don’t be concerned.)
For serving, chop the dill fronds as well as the parsley leaves, and then stir the majority of them into the saucepan (set some leaves and fronds aside to garnish). Serve with sour cream, drizzles of extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkles of paprika, salt, and pepper. Finally, garnish with the rest of the dill fronds and the celery heart leaf (if you are using it).