Cabbage: Homey Food, Homey Prep, All Good

By Luci

It’s cheap. It’s healthy. It’s tasty with incredible crunch. It takes to lots of interesting preparations. Cooked dishes warm us in the winter; salads have a cooling effect in summer. What’s not to like?

Cabbage is a food bargain, full of vitamins, antioxidants and probiotics with a high fiber content. It keeps well, retaining its healthy properties for long periods. Indeed, it was a life saver before refrigeration because it kept over the winter in cold climates when almost no fruits or vegetables did.

Cabbage comes in many varieties. I favor red cabbage in winter because it’s especially flavorful when cooked and especially so with a sweet and sour prep. Here are three examples using different cooking techniques.

Braised German Red Cabbage

Much beloved is a recipe with German ancestry, classically served with roast goose or other game meats. But try it with sausages such as bratwurst or a spicy frankfurter as one of my German aunts often did. I’ve served it alongside a pork roast as well. Vibrant and spicy, it’s one of those dishes whose flavor seems to bounce around in the mouth. The sweet and sour flavoring makes it just as good or better the next day.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 large red cabbage, shredded

1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into small slices

2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

3 tablespoons water, more if needed

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 bay leaf 

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat. Simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Roasted Red Cabbage with Balsamic Vinegar and Pecorino Romano Cheese

Sweet and sour, balsamic vinegar is a natural to combine with red cabbage. Typically, other ingredients are added, from apple to ginger to walnuts. I wondered just how simple the recipe could be while yielding a complex, delightful dish. Roasting the cabbage would give it a more intense taste, sweeter, with crispy, caramelized edges and a slightly nutty flavor. A bit of garlic should amplify the nuttiness. Initially, I used an inexpensive balsamic vinegar resulting in a fair but not great taste. Next, I tried a very good balsamic vinegar with much richer taste and sweetness. That did the trick! The flavor was joyfully sweet, full but not cloying, with a nice touch of tart that rounded out the taste profile, making the whole quite gratifying. Still, I thought, would cheese “gild the lily?” Yes! Pecorino Romano, tangy and earthy, did the job. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 tablespoon of a good balsamic vinegar

1 medium clove garlic, grated or finely minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 red cabbage, cut into 4 wedges

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Rub olive oil on a sheet pan.

2. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Coat both sides of each cabbage wedge with the mixture.

3. Place wedges on sheet pan and roast for about an hour, until tender, turning the wedges over halfway through.

4. When done, place on serving plate and sprinkle the cheese over each wedge.

Sautéed Red Cabbage with Bacon and Thyme

Savory, salty and smoky, bacon enhances the flavor of just about everything. With sautéed shallots and thyme, I’ve used it to boost the taste of numerous vegetables and salads. The combination certainly worked its magic with red cabbage.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 slices thick bacon

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 large shallot, minced

1-1/2  teaspoons chopped thyme leaves

1/2 red cabbage, shredded

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Fry the bacon until well done. Remove from pan and blot on paper towels. Roughly chop.

2. Measure out 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Discard the rest. Put bacon fat and butter into large skillet and heat. Add the shallots and then the thyme. Sauté until soft. 

3. Stir in the cabbage and then the vinegar. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender but still crisp. Add salt and pepper.

4. Put cabbage in serving dish and top with the chopped bacon.