Red cabbage cream with charred green cabbage

This is a simple side dish with very few ingredients, the aim being to show the versatility of cabbage. We get to taste it being robust, charred and crunchy balanced with its creamy, soft and gentle side.

Credit: Sharyn Cairns

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• olive oil, for cooking
• 2 large French shallots, finely sliced
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 cup finely sliced red cabbage leaves
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 60 ml (¼ cup) milk
• 60 ml (¼ cup) cream
• 40 g butter
• ⅓ head small green cabbage, halved, core left in
• 1½ tbsp cider vinegar
• river salt, white and black pepper, to season
• robust extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Heat a medium saucepan on low heat. Add a splash of olive oil, shallot, garlic, salt and white pepper. Gently cook for 3–4 minutes, until softened but not coloured.

Stir in the red cabbage and bay leaf. Top with the milk, cream and half the butter. Cut out a piece of baking paper into a round and sit this directly on top of the mixture to cover. Continue cooking gently for about 5 minutes, or until the cabbage has completely softened.

Transfer the mixture to a blender, removing the bay leaf, and puree until a smooth, thick, pale purple puree. Taste for seasoning and set aside in a warm spot.

Heat an ovenproof frying pan on high heat until very hot and add a good splash of oil. Give it a moment to get smoking hot and then add green cabbage wedges, cut-side down. Let them sit in the pan for about 4 minutes, until starting to colour and char slightly. Turn over to the other cut side and repeat. If the pan is starting to blacken too much, add an extra splash of oil.

Remove the pan from the heat and sit the wedges of cabbage up so they are balancing on their round edges. Add the vinegar, 1 tablespoon water and remaining butter. Season well with salt and black pepper before placing the pan into the preheated oven. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and use tongs to remove the cabbage. Roughly chop the cabbage crossways about four times and then back into the pan, stirring to dress in the cooking juices.

To serve, spoon the purple puree over the base of a warmed serving dish. Pile the chopped charred cabbage on top, leaving some of the puree peeking out from underneath. Drizzle with oil and serve immediately.

Photography by Sharyn Cairns. Styling by Lee Blaylock. Food preparation by Rachael Lane.

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This recipe is part of The Seasonal Cook: Cabbage column.

View previous The Seasonal Cook columns and recipes.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.