An interesting twist that elevates humble cabbage into something special. Softened butter is rubbed on edges of a cut head and then sprinkled with a fragrant combination of citrus zest, garlic and coriander. As the wedges roast, the exterior leaves become deeply browned and crispy, while the interior remains silky, sweet and tender. A bright, citrusy dressing completes the dish.
This side dish was born out of necessity. We were a few short days away from leaving for vacation, thus trying to use up any food that might spoil before we got back home. In our auxiliary refrigerator was a half-head of savoy cabbage which prompted us to look in our copy of Milk Street’s Vegetables cookbook for an appropriate recipe.
We had every ingredient on hand except for the hazelnuts (which is omitted in the list below) and decided to make it anyway, forgoing any nuts altogether. Since the half-head was just shy of 2 pounds, we kept all of the other staples at full value. As far as the herbs, we used a combination of chives and tarragon freshly picked from the garden.
NOTES: Don’t forget to allow the butter to soften. Make sure to line the baking sheet with foil (which I forgot to do).
Butter-Roasted Cabbage with Citrus and Mustard
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 tsp. grated grapefruit OR lemon zest, plus a 1/2 cup of its juice
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 4 Tbsp. salted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces and softened
- 2-lb. head of savoy OR napa cabbage, tough outer leaves removes, quartered
- 2 Tbsp. whole grain mustard OR Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon OR fresh chives OR fresh flat-leaf parsley OR a combination
Directions
- Heat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- In a small bowl, stir together the coriander, garlic, zest and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
- Using your hands and 1 tablespoon of butter per cabbage wedge, rub the butter on all sides and into the layers. Sprinkle the wedges evenly with the spice mixture, rubbing it in to adhere, reserve the bowl.
- Place cabbage wedges cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Cover tightly with foil and roast until a skewer inserted into the thickest part meets little resistance, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Uncover the baking sheet and roast until the cabbage is deeply browned on all sides, about 15 minutes more, flipping halfway through.
- Meanwhile in the reserved bowl, whisk together the citrus juice, mustard, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
- Place wedges on a platter and drizzle each with 1 tablespoon of the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and serve with any remaining sauce on the side.
Adapted from a recipe in Milk Street’s “Vegetables” cookbook.
Accounting for Taste 