CabbageI suspect many of us have unpleasant memories of cabbage from our childhood; I can recall my Mother boiling cabbage half to death and then squeezing the water out through a colander with the back of a saucer – yuk! It took me a while to recover from my loathing of cabbage but I now enjoy it and it regularly appears on our table at home.
Cabbages are eaten all around the world; prepared, cooked and preserved in numerous ways. There are so many avenues for inspiration it is surprising that we are so limited in our preparation of this wonderful vegetable. It is high in vitamin C and also has anti-inflammatory properties, nursing mothers have been known to use cabbage leaves to soothe their breasts.
I am going to share one of my favourite recipes with you, it’s a great family supper dish that can be transformed for dinner parties with just a couple of extra ingredients.
Savoy Cabbage
Stir Fried Savoy Cabbage
- 1 Savoy cabbage, finely shredded. Other crisp green cabbage works just as well, as do Brussels sprouts).
- 1 Onion, finely chopped
- 4-6 Rashers smoked, streaky bacon, cut into thin strips. Vegetarians can replace with pine nuts.
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- Splash of sherry (white wine, cider, stock or water will also do)
- Splash of olive oil and a knob of butter for frying
Melt butter and oil in a large frying pan or wok until bubbling. Add bacon and cook until beginning to brown, add onion and continue cooking until onion becomes brown around the edges. Add garlic and fry until golden, add cabbage and toss to coat in onion and bacon. Add a splash of sherry and quickly put on a tight fitting lid, turn down the heat and leave to steam for 4 minutes. Remove lid add salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat cabbage. Delicious served with roast pork or sausages.
Tip
If you want a really indulgent version, after two minutes of steaming add 50ml of double cream and a handful of grated parmesan cheese, leave to bubble and then add seasoning before serving.
Quick ways with Cabbage
Add left over stir fried cabbage to some mash potatoes for an extra special bubble and squeak.