My dear mother happens to be a talented pastry chef, but she's also a great home cook. Some of my earliest recollections are of me standing by my mom's side as she cooked or baked. To this day, there are certain dishes that are truly my mother's best and simplest. This braised cabbage is one of them. I try to make it every once in awhile, because it is savory and so satisfying during these long, cold winter days. If you like cabbage, you're going to like this recipe. This makes at least 6 servings.
The Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- 1 small cabbage (your pick), cored & finely shredded (6-8 cups)
- 1 cup homemade chicken stock (or low sodium store bought)
- salt & pepper
Note: vegetable stock can be substituted.
In a large saute pan, add your butter along with the olive oil. Turn on your heat to medium & let the butter melt & start to sizzle.
Add your chopped shallots. Saute for about 3 minutes or until the shallots are translucent. Add a pinch of salt & some pepper. Now you can add your garlic. Stir this mixture for about 1 minute.
Add the cabbage & stir to distribute everything well.
Now add your cup of chicken or vegetable stock. Salt & pepper this well. Cover & lower your heat. You want to braise this, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the cabbage is quite tender. This can take anywhere from 20-30 minutes.
When you're ready to serve, put some in a bowl & tuck a generous spoon. Devour!
Even if you don't like the idea of cooking cabbage, you really should give this a try. It's tasty to have alongside roast chicken, sausages or even lamb. There is something I have to confess. After a conversation with my mother, I realized that I forgot one ingredient that she always adds to this. It's a chopped tomato. I'm not sure if I subconsciously edited this out or if I just plum forgot. At any rate, you can add a chopped tomato if you want or leave it out. Either way, you're going to like it. If I haven't already said so, it reheats well the next day if you happen to have leftovers. Enjoy!
I will have to try this with bratwurst.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't eat bratwurst, I'm sure it would be really good.
ReplyDelete