Braised Cabbage with Horseradish Cream

 

 

I quite simply adore cabbage.  I love it in any way shape or form. I love it raw. I love it cooked. I love cabbage.

My family has long been cabbage lovers. I think the only one of us that is not fond of this humble vegetable is my father. When we were growing up and my mother made cabbage rolls, he would swap me his cabbage for my meat.  (I was never fond of the meat part.)

 

 

This is a recipe I discovered on a blog called Girl on the Range.  It looked so delicious. Wedges of cabbage, braised until meltingly tender in a lush cream sauce flavored with horseradish.

It was a recipe she had discovered on Saveur. 

From the moment I saw it, I knew it was something that I wanted to try and, as luck would have it, I just happened to have a small cabbage in my refrigerator!!  I was all in!!

 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BRAISED CABBAGE WITH HORSERADISH CREAM

Basically they are very simple ingredients, with the exception perhaps of the horseradish. I love horseradish so I always have it in my refrigerator.

• 1 small head of green cabbage (about 1 1/4 pound) (see photograph)
• 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
• 2 heaped TBS freshly grated, or prepared horseradish
• 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken or vegetable stock
• salt
• black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

This photograph shows you the size of the cabbage I used.  It was a bit of a pain to peel off some outer leaves, but I did it, and it doesn't really matter if you tear them a bit.

I have fairly small hands, so this cabbage was about the size of a small grapefruit, or a ten pin bowling ball.   It was fairly compact as well.  For those who live in the UK it is what you call a white cabbage.

 

The original recipe called for vermouth.  I just used chicken stock, or you could use vegetable stock, making this totally vegetarian.  I don't really keep any alcohol in my house these days, not even for cooking.

Unless you have a dedicated bar, vermouth is probably not something you would have in your larder, unless you were a martini drinker.  I find that you can usually find a good substitute for most kinds of alcohol in most recipes.

The horseradish used is the grated horseradish, not the horseradish cream. Grated horseradish is quite a bit stronger, but no worries because there is only a small amount in this and it in no way makes it unbearably hot. It just gives the cream a lovely flavor. 

If you are not fond of horseradish, you could substitute it with some Dijon mustard, or even leave the extra flavor out altogether.

 

HOW TO MAKE BRAISED CABBAGE WITH HORSERADISH CREAM

It is really not all that difficult to make. The wedges do have a tendency to fall over I found, but this in no ways affects the flavor of the dish, only the looks and they are easy enough to set back upright again.

Preheat your oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7.

Remove a few of the larger outside leaves from the cabbage. (Its okay if they tear) Rinse under cold running water and place them around the perimeter of a stovetop-save baking dish or small Dutch oven, placing them so that they come partway up the sides of the pan. (I used a 6-inch iron skillet.)

 

Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges. Arrange the wedges over the leaves with their points facing upwards in the baking dish. Season with some salt and black pepper.

Whisk the cream, horseradish, and chicken stock together in a measuring cup. Pour the mixture over the cabbage. Dot with the butter and cover with a tight-fitting lid.

 

Set the dish on a burner over medium high heat and cover tightly. Bring to the boil then reduce to a quick simmer. Simmer until the cabbage steams to a brighter green and looks slightly wilted at the edges. This will take four to six minutes. Remove the cover, and using a spoon, spoon the tops of the wedges with the cream mixture.

Transfer to the preheated oven and roast uncovered for about 20 minutes. Baste with some of the pan juices and then roast for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the cabbage is tender and slightly caramelized.

Serve hot with some of the pan juices spooned over top.

 

I used my six inch wide cast iron pan. You want to use a baking dish/pan that will go from stove top to oven without breaking or cracking.  My cast iron pan is about 3 inches deep.

 

Do beware if your pan is really shallow, the cream will bubble up over, so make sure your pan is deep enough to counteract that and prevent it from happening!

I used a lid from my set of saucepans that happened to fit fairly snuggly on top of the skillet.

The cabbage leaves which are placed around the edges of the pan and on the bottom actually help to keep the cabbage fairly upright.  These points do get lovely and crisp and golden.

 

This was really REALLY lovely.  The cabbage gets nice and tender, almost buttery.  I love cabbage when it gets all meltingly tender like that.

The cream was lovely.  Not too rich.  I can only imagine what it might have tasted like with vermouth, but to be honest the chicken stock did the job perfectly.

The leftovers were even tastier the day after, gently warmed in a skillet until heated through.  I chopped them up and then tossed them together with some warm buttery egg noodles.  A bit of cheese sprinkled on top and it was gorgeous!

Some other tasty cabbage recipes on The English Kitchen are:

CABBAGE, CHEESE & MUSTARD GRATIN FOR TWO - Cabbage is parboiled and then layered in a baking dish with a lovely lush cheese and mustard sauce. Topped with buttery crumbs and baked to delicious perfection. This is a fabulous side dish.

FRIED CABBAGE WITH BACON AND ONIONS - This is one of the most popular recipes on this page and for good reason. Its quite simply delicious. Quick, easy and fabulously tasty!

Yield: 2 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Braised Cabbage with Horseradish Cream

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 46 MinTotal time: 56 Min

If you like cabbage, prepare to fall in love with this simple easy and delicious method of preparing it.

Ingredients

• 1 small head of green cabbage (about 1 1/4 pound) (see photograph)
• 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
• 2 heaped TBS freshly grated, or prepared horseradish
• 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken or vegetable stock
• salt
• black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7.
2. Remove a few of the larger outside leaves from the cabbage. (Its okay if they tear) Rinse under cold running water and place them around the perimeter of a stovetop-save baking dish or small Dutch oven, placing them so that they come partway up the sides of the pan. (I used a 6-inch iron skillet.)
3. Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges. Arrange the wedges over the leaves with their points facing upwards in the baking dish. Season with some salt and black pepper.
4. Whisk the cream, horseradish, and chicken stock together in a measuring cup. Pour the mixture over the cabbage. Dot with the butter and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
5. Set the dish on a burner over medium high heat and cover tightly. Bring to the boil then reduce to a quick simmer. Simmer until the cabbage steams to a brighter green and looks slightly wilted at the edges. This will take four to six minutes. Remove the cover, and using a spoon, spoon the tops of the wedges with the cream mixture.
6. Transfer to the preheated oven and roast uncovered for about 20 minutes. Baste with some of the pan juices and then roast for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the cabbage is tender and slightly caramelized.
7. Serve hot with some of the pan juices spooned over top.

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