Cabbage is often boiled in water, but there’s a far better way to cook the green veg to bring out its unique flavour — and it’s all down to the cooking technique
Cabbage often gets a bad rap for being bland or mushy when boiled, but there’s a far superior way to bring out its unique flavour by simply altering the cooking method. Instead of dunking it in water, try roasting and braising it until the green veg turns tender and buttery.
Food writer and chef, Stephanie A Ganz, from Simply Recipes, dubbed this “game-changing” recipe “melting cabbage.” The mix of browning, slow roasting, and a splash of broth creates layers of richness that boiling can never achieve.
Stephanie confessed: “I’m always looking for new ways to enjoy this cruciferous veg, so I’ve tried many versions of what’s known as ‘melting’ or ‘melted cabbage’-a silky, slow-cooked recipe that coaxes out every bit of flavour a head of cabbage has to offer.
“After trying them all, I’ve come up with an easy, comforting version that I trot out weekly to serve alongside roast chicken, pork chops, or pierogi.”
This method takes 10 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook. It aims to serve up to four to six people: here’s how to make melt-in-your-mouth cabbage, courtesy of Simply Recipes.
Ingredients
- Two to three tablespoons of olive oil
- One medium head of green or red cabbage
- One medium yellow onion
- Three cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine
- One to two cups of chicken or vegetable stock
- One teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- One leaf bay leaf (optional)
- Two tablespoons of unsalted butter (optional)
- Fresh chopped parsley or dill to garnish (optional)
Method
To start, preheat the oven to 190 °C (170 °C fan/ Gas mark five). Then, in a large cast-iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering.
Next, add the cabbage wedges, cut side down, pressing gently into the pan. Work in batches if necessary.
Sizzle until one side is deeply browned (three to seven minutes), then flip and brown the other side for the same duration. Then, move the cabbage onto a plate.
If the pan is dry, add another spoonful of olive oil, then sauté the onions for about five minutes until they turn golden. Add the garlic and cook until it releases its aroma, which should take one to two minutes more.
Place the cabbage back into the skillet in a single layer, pour in the white wine, and let it simmer briefly until the alcohol evaporates. Pour in enough broth to reach halfway up the cabbage, then season with salt, pepper, and the bay leaf if you’re using one.
Move the skillet into the oven and bake until the cabbage is tender throughout, which should take 35 to 45 minutes. Adjust the seasonings to your liking, and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a knob of butter.
