When I see cabbage at the market, I think about it in one of two ways: coleslaw in the warmer months or braised red cabbage in the cooler months. Sometimes I'll make an Asian-type salad with peanut dressing that veers from this, but generally I sit pretty reliably in the two camps. This week, Mark Bittman set me straight. There is, indeed, a whole other world of cabbage that goes far beyond braising and chopping it for slaw.
About the tricky balance of perfect cabbage and soggy cabbage, Bittman notes, "Taste often for doneness; the key is to let the cabbage soften and lose its raw edge while still retaining some of its crunch." He gives recipes for many different versions of cabbage including a few of my favorites: tossing it in a hot and sour soup or stir-frying it with pork and peanuts. How about making a cabbage caesar or cooking it down with eggs and tomatos for an innovative breakfast?
Thankful for an arsenal of new cabbage ideas, I'm afraid braised cabbage won't be on the menu around here for awhile. And right now, I'm perfectly okay with that.
What's your favorite slawless way to enjoy cabbage?
Read More: A Dozen Recipes for Slawless Cabbage by Mark Bittman | The New York Times
Related: 10 Recipes That Remind Us Why Cabbage is Awesome
(Image: Faith Durand)
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steam cabbage and try with this peanut sauce - http://7th-taste.com/2011/11/03/featured-on-mercury-news-oakland-tribune-kenyan-tomato-peanut-sauce-over-vegetables-with-riesling/
The Indian cabbage pictured has become one of my true faves. I call it the Cabbage of Joy. To be fair, my daughter calls it the Cabbage of Dread.
I also like roasted cabbage with lots of olive oil and garlic over whole wheat pasta. A real winter pasta dish.
Cut into wedges and roasted! So toothsome, so tasty.
Spicy kimchi is the bomb!
We had naked spring rolls for supper tonight - it's something I invented once when the kids were too hungry to wait for me to roll spring rolls! Mix cooked noodles (preferably something Asian-ish) with chopped purple cabbage, green onions, grated carrot, and chopped cilantro. Add hoisin sauce to taste, pretty much usually, and sprinkle chopped peanuts on top. (blogged here: http://thriftathome.blogspot.com/2011/02/naked-spring-rolls.html)
I like to make sauerkraut and kimchi. Just cooked some with corned beef which is amazing. I guess we eat a lot of cabbage in the winter because it's one of the few local veggies around.
Thrift at Home....That's adorable! Naked spring rolls. What a great name for a cabbage salad. Love it.
I like it sauteed in butter with onions and apples, in colcannon, or just sauteed in a little butter. It's also excellent in soups, stir fries, and casseroles.
I'm not a fan of white or red cabbage raw (and I hate Savoy cabbage altogether), but I don't mind Napa cabbage raw in slaws, especially with a sweet/sour vinaigrette.
I don't know why everyone dislikes cabbage - I love it! It's cheap, stores well, and contains loads of vitamins. Not to mention being tasty (when properly prepared).
I like that you are linking to stuff but you ought to warn everybody to print everything once they get there because it's the NYT and their paywall only lets you get 10 free peeks a month.
stir-fried cabbage is a staple at my house, also shredded cabbage in fish tacos. Try replacing iceberg lettuce with cabbage for an extra crunch and vitamins.
Curtido - the Salvadoran cabbage relish. We keep it around even when we don't make pupusas, because it makes a great taco topping and is great on the side with all sorts of things.