Since winter arrived I’ve been mostly braising or roasting veggies for lunch and dinner. I don’t know why but I can’t think of any other cooking methods when I am cold. It isn’t as cold in LA as it is in NY but here the houses are cold (even with the central heating on). When we lived in New York, we had one window open because it was too hot in the apartment.
I constantly make teas, soups and stews to keep us warm.
About this dish: I had a similar dish in one of my favorite restaurants in Tel Aviv (Dok) and since then I am hooked on steamed and baked cabbage. What makes it so good is that the inner cabbage leaves become get tender and sweet and the outer leaves get crunchy. It’s also very filling. You can serve it with lemony tahini or the dressing in the recipe.
braised & roasted cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 red or green cabbage
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup filtered water
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Olive oil
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons mayonaise
- ¼ cup cooking liquid
- Small piece preserved lemon or 1 teaspoon lemon zest or 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Quarter the cabbage lenghwise and put it in a pot.
- Pour in the wine, water and spices and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the cabbage from the pot but DON’T discard the cooking liquid. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
- Put the cabbage on a baking tray, lined with baking paper (optional) and drizzle olive oil over it. Roast it for 10 - 15 minutes or until the edges are golden brownish.
- Meanwhile make the dressing: If you don’t have a blender chop the preserved lemon finely with a knife and mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- To serve: pour the dressing on a big rimmed plate then place the cabbage wedges on and garnish with parsley.
