INGREDIENTS:
- 1 whole green cabbage, ~ 2 pounds
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) bacon fat or olive oil plus more for more sautéing
- 50 grams whole garlic cloves, peeled (~1 medium head)
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- Parsley, for garnish
- Sour cream or yogurt, for garnish/serving
Recipe by Dan Kohler, 3/9/20
Yield: 6-8 Servings
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 350˚F.
2. Peel off any damaged or wilted outer leaves of the cabbage head. Slice cabbage head in half through root. Cut each half into 4 even wedges, keeping the root intact. This will ensure that the leaves don’t fall apart while cooking.
3. Heat bacon fat or vegetable oil in 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high flame until shimmering. Sear cabbage wedges in batches (don’t crowd the pan, otherwise they’ll steam) until browned on both sides (3-5 minutes per side). Season wedges on both sides with salt and pepper while searing (once they’re wet and warm the salt and pepper will adhere more easily).
4. Once browned, remove cabbage wedges and let rest while you build the sauce.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and add a few more tablespoons oil/fat to pan if it’s dry. Add garlic cloves to pan, sauté for 1-2 minutes tossing gently, until browned on all sides.
6. Add caraway and celery seeds to pan, stir until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
7. Add tomato paste and red chili flake, stir until slightly darkened and fragrant 1-2 minutes (if you add the red chili flake at the same time as the caraway and celery seeds, it’ll burn and leave you with charred flakes throughout the dish).
8. Add chicken stock and bay leaves to pan, sample the liquid and season with salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Stir until all ingredients are well combined.
9. Return cabbage wedges back to pan, overlapping them if necessary, to fit them all in at once.
10. Put pan in oven, uncovered, and bake for 40-50 minutes turning the wedges over halfway through the cooking time.
11. Cabbage is done when wedges are tender (even the core), the liquid is significantly reduced, and cabbage leaves are caramelized on the edges. For more charring, slip pan under the broiler briefly at the end of the cooking time.
12. Remove skillet from oven and garnish with parsley. Serve with sour cream or yogurt.