Cook This: Braised, Dressed Cabbage from Mary Berg’s Well Seasoned

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Our cookbook of the week is Well Seasoned by Mary Berg. Over the next two days, we’ll feature another recipe from the book and an interview with the author.

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To try another recipe from the book, check out: Blue Cheese Pumpkin Gnudi; and 80s chicken.

“I had a revelation, relatively recently, that cabbage is amazing,” says Mary Berg, the Toronto host of Marie makes it easy . “I always thought cabbage was, for lack of a better term, fart… But like Brussels sprouts, also a type of cabbage, it just depends on how you cook it.”

Over the past few years, Berg has become a fan of grilled cabbage in the summer and braised in the colder months. She recommends savoy cabbage in this example of the latter — a slow-cooking method in which a vegetable or meat is seared and then gently cooked in a liquid — but the recipe also works well with napa.

The dish starts on the stove and ends under the broiler to crisp up the filling resembling bread stuffing. When braising, the cabbage softens and becomes sweet rather than sulphurous.

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Berg suggests pairing it with roast meat or sausages, as well as enjoying it on its own. It’s the kind of cozy comfort that would be equally welcome as a holiday side, or as a wintry main course anytime – which is her preference.

“For me, it’s the perfect winter recipe: (it’s) a kind of stew, delicious and there’s a bit of bread chewiness on top. It’s so good,” says Berg.

It’s also relatively quick cooking, she adds, and makes good use of a long-lasting winter vegetable.

“It’s something that’s green and is going to give you that kind of crunch you’re looking for, even when braised,” says Berg. “But it will last. You can buy it and literally not cook it for three weeks and it will still be fine in your fridge.

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BRAISED AND DRESSED CABBAGE

1 small savoy cabbage
2 tablespoons of butter
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4–1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
4 thick slices of country, white or whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
2 tbsp. finely chopped sage, divided
1 lemon, zested and squeezed
4 oz (113 g) soft goat cheese

Step 1

Stand the cabbage on its root end and cut into 12 wedges through the heart and root. Put aside.

2nd step

In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds to remove the edge of the garlic, then add the cabbage wedges, season with more salt and pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage begins to become a little golden around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes.

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Step 3

Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour the broth over the cabbage. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid or aluminum foil and allow the cabbage to braise until the near-core portions are tender, 18 to 20 minutes.

Step 4

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Tear the bread into small pieces and add to the bowl, along with 1 tbsp parsley and 1 tsp sage. Season with salt and pepper and mix well to combine.

Step 5

When cabbage is tender, remove lid, stir in remaining 1 tbsp parsley and 1 tsp sage, along with lemon zest and juice, then top with bread mixture. Sprinkle with goat cheese and place the pan on the middle rack of your oven. Set the oven to broil until the top is golden brown and set, 5 to 6 minutes.

Step 6

Serve as an accompaniment to any meal or as an accompaniment to roast meat or sausages.

Serves: 4 as a meal or 8 as a side dish

To note: If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a large pot, then transfer the cooked cabbage to a baking dish to garnish and finish in the oven.

Recipe and photo taken from Well Seasoned by Mary Berg. Copyright 2021 Mary Berg. Photography © 2021 Lauren Vandenbrook. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by agreement with the publisher. All rights reserved.