Words Vicki Ravlich-Horan Images Ashlee DeCaires
For me, cabbage is one of those vegetables that doesn’t come with fond childhood memories – be it the boiled variety that accompanied many a winter meal in the 80s or the horrors of the cabbage soup diet.
The fact is there are many more ways to enjoy this humble, ever so economical winter veg than boiling it!
Roasted Cabbage with Tahini Yoghurt Dressing
I initially called this recipe sumac roasted cabbage but omitted the sumac from the title because this dish is just as delicious without the middle eastern spice.
If you aren’t already roasting your broccoli and cauliflower, I urge you to give it a try. The roasting gives you a different textural and flavour experience from raw or sautéed vegetables and this is just as true for cabbage.
½ a cabbage
extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
sumac*
salt & pepper
Tahini Yoghurt Dressing
⅓ cup tahini paste
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
½ tsp cumin (optional)
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
¼ cup boiling water
¾ cup Greek yoghurt
salt
Cut the cabbage into 2 cm wedges. Try to ensure each wedge includes a piece of the stalk, as this will help keep them in one piece.
Place the wedges on a large oven tray and drizzle with your oil, season with sumac, salt and pepper. Roast until the edges are a dark gold brown colour and crispy.
Serve the warm roasted cabbage either on a smear of the tahini sauce or the sauce drizzled over top.
To make the sauce
In a small bowl mix the tahini, honey (or maple), cumin (if using), lemon juice and garlic and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the boiling water before finally adding the yoghurt to form a smooth sauce. Check and adjust the seasoning. You may want to add more lemon juice.
Charred Cabbage with Burnt Butter
Chargrilling your cabbage will give you a similar effect to baking it. A heavy cast iron pan works best. In warmer weather the BBQ is perfect.
For this simple recipe I burn some butter as the simple sauce, adding a beautiful nuttiness to the sweet cabbage.
olive oil
½ a cabbage, cut into wedges
salt
100g butter, cut into small cubes
¼ cup hazelnuts or pine nuts, chopped
Heat the pan with a drizzle of oil. Add the cabbage wedges and cook until they are charred on one side. Season with some salt before turning to repeat char on the other side. Once cooked remove from the pan and keep in a warm spot while you make the sauce.
Place the butter in the pan and allow to melt. Once melted continue to cook until the butter begins to foam. Stir or swirl the pan often so it cooks evenly. You want the butter to reach a brown nutty look and flavour. Take it off too soon and you just have melted butter, too late and it will be burnt. When you have reached the desired burn, add the nuts, stir and then drizzle over the charred cabbage.
