Steamed Cabbage with Lemon, Butter, and Thyme
Cabbage has a wonderful character when you treat it simply, and of course the texture is fantastic—silky and crunchy at the same time—and this shallow-steaming method gets that texture just right. While I love the simplicity of this basic version, I also like to juice it up a bit with hot sauce, grated Parmigiano, and breadcrumbs.
» Serves 4
1 pound cabbage, savoy or green (but not red), quartered, cored, and cut into thick wedges
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon thyme leaves
Bring ½ inch of water to a boil in a large sauce-pan. Add the cabbage, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and steam-simmer rapidly. After about a minute, uncover, stir the cabbage around so it’s getting evenly steamed (it’s okay if some of the leaves fall off the wedges), add a touch more water if necessary, cover, and cook until the cabbage is mostly tender but still has some crunch, 4 to 6 minutes total depending on your cabbage.
Drain the cabbage well, give it a quick chop or two to make it easier to eat, and pile it into a bowl. Season with the lemon juice, butter, thyme, and several twists of pepper.
Roasted Cabbage with Walnuts, Parmigiano, and Saba
I like serving this with a big roast. The walnut garnish makes the dish interesting and special, but it’s not overly rich. It’s also easy to pull together: Once your roast is cooked, pull it out of the oven and let it rest, crank up the oven temp, and roast the cabbage. Both dishes will be ready to serve at the same time.
» Serves 4 to 6
1 head savoy cabbage, quartered and cored
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon saba or balsamic vinegar, plus more for drizzling
2 garlic cloves, minced
Extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped
⅓ cup Dried Breadcrumbs
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
Juice of 1 lemon
Heat the oven to 475°F.
Rub the cabbage quarters with the butter, season with salt and pepper, and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast in the hot oven until it’s browned and crisped around the edges and slightly softened in the center, 10 to 15 minutes.
Sprinkle the saba over the cabbage quarters and toss lightly to season them, trying to keep them intact . . . though it’s okay if the leaves start to separate.
While the cabbage is roasting, put the garlic in a small bowl and pour on ¼ cup olive oil. Add the walnuts, breadcrumbs, and Parmigiano. Season generously with salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Stir to mix and then taste and adjust the seasoning—you’re making sort of a loose, sloppy salsa, which should be bright from the lemon, salty from the cheese, and toasty and crunchy from the walnuts and breadcrumbs.
Either leave the cabbage quarters intact or give them a rough chop. Arrange on plates or a platter and dress with the walnut salsa. Drizzle on a bit more saba, a sprinkling of lemon juice, and a shower of grated cheese. Serve soon.
Battered and Fried Cabbage with Crispy Seeds and Lemon
Looking for an appetizer that’s out of the ordinary? Spicy, crunchy leaves of cabbage cooked tempura-style are fantastic with drinks and friends. Cooking them is a bit of a performance piece for your guests, however, because you need to eat these as soon as they’re out of the pan. Serve them with a simple squeeze of lemon, or for a more substantial preparation, serve with a bowl of Tonnato for dipping.
» Serves 4 as an appetizer
¼ head green cabbage
Vegetable oil or olive oil, for deep-frying
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sparkling water
¼ cup poppy seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Dried chile flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ lemon
Cut away the dense cabbage core with a sharp paring knife and separate the leaves; it’s fine that they are all different sizes, though you should tear any huge ones into smaller pieces. The cabbage leaves need to fit into your frying pot.
Arrange a double layer of paper towels on a tray or baking sheet and set it near your stove. Pour 3 inches of oil (vegetable oil or a mix of olive and vegetable) into a saucepan, making sure there are at least 3 inches of headroom (because the oil may bubble up a bit during cooking, and you don’t want any spillovers—dangerous!). Slowly bring the oil up to 375°F on a thermometer. (Or fry a small piece of bread: When it takes 60 seconds to get nicely crisp and brown, but not burnt, your oil is just about right.)
As the oil is heating, whisk together the cornstarch and flour in a bowl. Whisk in enough sparkling water to make a thin batter. Whisk in the poppy seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, ¼ teaspoon chile flakes (or more, if you like things spicy), ½ teaspoon salt, and a bunch of twists of black pepper.
When the oil is ready, dip a cabbage leaf into the batter, let the excess drip off, and then carefully immerse it in the hot oil. If there’s room in the pan for more than one leaf, fry more than one at a time, but don’t overcrowd the pan or the oil temperature may drop, making the coating greasy rather than crisp. Fry until the coating is puffed and very light golden (these will not get deeply colored). Transfer to the paper towels to drain and continue frying the rest of the cabbage.
Once all the cabbage leaves are fried, turn off the heat under the oil and arrange the cabbage on a platter. Season with a bit more salt and a squeeze of lemon and serve right away.
Comforting Cabbage, Onion, and Farro Soup
This soup has a definite grandma vibe—warm, comforting, nourishing, and maybe just the tiniest bit old-fashioned, which is what you want on a cold or drizzly day.
» Serves 4
1 pound cabbage, savoy or green
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 healthy sprig rosemary or thyme
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
⅔ cup farro
About 4 cups meat or poultry broth, homemade or low-sodium store-bought
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Cut out the cabbage core and finely chop it. Cut the leaves into fine shreds, either by slicing through the chunk of cabbage or by separating the leaves, rolling them into a cylinder, and slicing crosswise into ⅛-inch ribbons (called chiffonade).
Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cabbage core, a pinch of salt, and a few twists of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion starts to soften and become fragrant—but not at all browned—about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes until the garlic is soft too.
Add the shredded cabbage leaves and rosemary. Cover the pot and let steam for a bit to soften the leaves, then toss the cabbage to help it wilt and soften more. Cook, covered, until the cabbage is very tender and sweet, at least 30 minutes.
When the cabbage is ready, stir in the vinegar. Taste and adjust with more salt or pepper.
Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat a glug of olive oil over medium heat. Add the farro and cook, stirring constantly, until the farro is lightly toasted and fragrant, 5 to 8 minutes.
Scrape the farro into the
cabbage pot (or put the cabbage into the farro pot—whichever is bigger) and add 4 cups broth. Adjust the heat to a lazy simmer and simmer until the farro is tender and all the flavors are married, 25 to 35 minutes.
Stir in the lemon juice. The soup should be very thick, but if it seems like it needs more liquid, add another ½ cup water or broth. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice. Serve the soup in shallow bowls, with a shower of Parmigiano and a drizzle of olive oil on top, with more cheese passed at the table.
Cabbage and Mushroom Hand Pies
If serving fewer than eight people, freeze the extras: assemble the pies, chill well, and then slide—unbaked—into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Bake the frozen pies, without thawing them, in a 350°F oven for 1 hour.
» Makes 8 hand pies
Extra-virgin olive oil
½ pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch-thick half-moons, cleaned well (about 2 cups)
4 cups lightly packed finely shredded savoy cabbage (from a ½-pound chunk of cabbage)
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ lemon
Hot sauce
Very Flaky Pastry Dough
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Heat a glug of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until very soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes.
Scoop the mushrooms out into a bowl. Add another 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet, add the leeks, season lightly with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat so that the leeks cook slowly. (If the leeks seem dry, you can cover the pan to capture the steam, which will help them soften up; add a spoonful of water if you need even more moisture.) Cook until they are fairly soft and fragrant, but not at all browned, about 3 minutes.
Add the cabbage to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and pour in ¼ cup water. Cover the skillet and cook over medium heat until the cabbage has wilted, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook the cabbage, tossing frequently,
until it’s very tender and starting to turn golden, another 8 minutes or so.
Add the vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, Parmigiano, a big squeeze of lemon juice, and a shake of hot sauce and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, hot sauce, or lemon juice until the mixture is highly savory and delicious. Let the filling cool completely, preferably in the refrigerator (you can’t assemble the pies if the filling is warm).
To assemble the hand pies, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Gently shape each piece into a round and flatten the round by pressing with your fingertips until you have a disk that’s about 3 inches across. If the dough is sticking as you’re doing this, dust it or your hands with flour.
Lightly flour the work surface and roll the disk into a round about 7 inches in diameter; it’s okay if it isn’t perfectly round. Scoop out one-eighth of the filling and pile it onto the lower half of the dough round, leaving a 1-inch border all around.
Brush the border lightly with water using a pastry brush or your fingertips. Fold over the top half of the dough round, tucking it nicely around the filling, then press gently to seal the two layers of dough. Starting on one end, fold the edge over in small pleats, pressing firmly to seal. Work your way around the edge until the pie is fully sealed. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling. Alternatively, crimp by pressing the edges with a fork. (If your kitchen is warm, pop the finished pies in the refrigerator as you work on the rest.) Chill for at least 30 minutes.
When ready to bake, heat the oven to 375°F.
Cut three decorative slits into the top of each pie and arrange the pies on a heavy baking sheet. Bake until the pastry is an even, rich light brown (be sure to check the underside of the pies), 30 to 40 minutes. Some juices from the filling may bubble through the seams or slits; that’s fine.
Let the pies cool on a rack and serve warm. You can bake ahead, cool, and then reheat for 10 minutes or so in a 375°F oven.
Celery Root
You’re forgiven if you’ve passed up celery root in the market. Hairy and gnarled, it certainly doesn’t advertise its virtues. But celery root is delicately flavored and really easy to cook with. Think of it as a subtly celery-flavored potato. Sounds pretty good, right?
Weight before beauty. The key is to choose a heavy-for-its-size root (hoist a few to compare), and one that isn’t sporting too much root-y stuff. By the time you trim away the exterior, you want to have plenty of flesh left.
Prep right before using. Don’t wash or trim your celery root until you’re ready to cook it, because once cut, it will turn brown. If you want to prep it a few hours ahead of cooking, you can soak it in a bowl of water with lemon juice.
So versatile. As with most root vegetables, you can eat celery root raw (as long as you grate it or slice it very thin), you can boil or steam it for mashing, or you can toss it in oil and herbs and roast it the way you would roast potatoes.
Celery Root with Brown Butter, Oranges, Dates, and Almonds
Raw celery root has the assertive flavor of stalk celery, but with a flesh that’s dense and way less fibrous. I create layers of flavor in this treatment by bringing in brightness from the oranges, salt from the almonds, and sweetness from the dates, and tying all that together with a mellow hit of nutty brown butter.
» Serves 4
2 navel oranges, preferably Cara Caras or blood oranges
1 small or ½ large celery root (about ¾ pound)
½ cup pitted dates, cut into quarters or smaller
¼ teaspoon dried chile flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup Brined and Roasted Almonds
1 small bunch chives, cut into 3-inch lengths
1 small handful flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Grate the zest from one of the oranges, then squeeze the juice from half of that grated orange.
Cut a small slice from the navel and stem ends of the second orange and set the orange on the cutting board on one cut end. Using a sharp paring knife, cut away all the orange peel and the underlying white pith from top to bottom, working in strips around the orange. Slice off any remaining bits of pith. Halve the orange pole to pole (not through the equator). Set a half on the cutting board cut side down and cut crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick half-moons. Repeat with the other half and put all the slices in a large bowl.
Using a sharp paring knife, cut away all the tough exterior of the celery root; if there are dark fissures remaining, cut those away, too. Cut the whole thing in half, and if the circumference of the halves is still big and unwieldy, halve them again. Set one piece of celery root on the cutting board on a cut side, and slice as thin as you can. (A mandoline would make this easy, but you can do just fine with a sharp knife.) When the piece of celery root gets wobbly, turn to another side and keep cutting—it’s okay if the slices are shaped differently. Put the celery root into the bowl with the oranges.
Add the juice from the orange half you squeezed, half the grated zest (reserve the other half), the dates, chile flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and lots of twists of black pepper and toss. Taste and adjust the salt, black pepper, and chile flakes until the salad is very zippy. Add a glug of olive oil and toss again. Add the almonds, chives, and parsley and toss. Taste and adjust one more time.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Cook the butter, swirling the pan every few seconds, until all the water inside the butter has sizzled off and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan begin to turn a
pale golden color, 1 to 2 minutes. Cook the butter until it turns golden brown and smells nutty and delicious, another few seconds. When the butter looks and smells perfect, immediately—so that the butter stops cooking and doesn’t get too dark—pour it into a little bowl.
Arrange the salad on plates or a platter and pour the warm brown butter over top. Sprinkle with the reserved orange zest and serve.
Mashed Celery Root with Garlic and Thyme
Beautiful on its own as an alternative for straight mashed potatoes, this recipe can be a launch pad for many other dishes, from gratins to soups.
» Serves 4
1½ pounds celery root
1 cup whole milk
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Using a sharp paring knife, cut away all the tough exterior of the celery root; if there are dark fissures remaining, cut those away, too. Cut the cleaned root into chunks.
Put the celery root in a medium saucepan and add the milk, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until the celery root is very tender, about 20 minutes (taking care that the milk doesn’t boil over). At this point, the milk will look curdled, but don’t worry.
Remove and discard (compost, please) the bay leaf and thyme. For a smooth texture, transfer the celery root and liquid to a food processor, add the butter, and puree until smooth. For a chunkier texture, add the butter and smash the celery root with a potato masher or a wooden spoon to the degree of chunkiness you like. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
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