Skip to main content

Experimental Braised Cabbage

Inspired by the Fallow Chefs’ confit caramelized cabbage, I made a vegan braised caramelized cabbage for dinner tonight, with pearl barley and split peas then finished in the stock. The recipe was improvised and not recorded exactly but the results were amazing.

The cabbage came out very sweet and caramelized, like the confit method appears but less buttery. Texture was nice, soft enough that the inner layers could be cut with a fork but not mushy.

I’ve written up the process below as best I can remember it.

Caremelized Braised Cabbage

Gear

  • A fry/saute/french pan with a lid

  • Small saucepan for the side grains/pulses

  • Chopping board and large knife

Ingredients

  • Half a cabbage (green, red or savoy should do)

  • Neutral cooking oil (canola, sunflower, grapeseed etc)

  • About a teaspoon minced garlic

  • About a cup of vegan “chicken” or vegetable stock

  • Dash of nice sweetish vinegar (red wine or apple cider)

  • Herbs to taste (e.g. pinch each of chives, rosemary and thyme)

  • Pinch of crushed pepper

  • ~4 handfuls pearled barley

  • ~4 handfuls green or yellow split peas

Method

  1. Remove any manky outer leaves from the cabbage and cut into four 45-degree wedges.

2. Cook for 5~10 minutes in a saute pan with plenty of oil on medium heat, just brown each side of the wedges; add the minced garlic towards the end to brown it as well.

3. Turn the heat down to minimum and deglaze the pan with the chicken stock and vinegar. Add the herbs and pepper to the mix as well. Leave the cabbage wedges in the pan but Do NOT mix them up with the stock etc, leave them as intact wedges.

4. Put the lid on and simmer gently at ~120C for 40-45 minutes. (Alternatively, if using an oven-safe pan this step could be done in a low oven.) Stir the stock every 10 minutes and flip the cabbage wedges but leave them intact, don’t knock them around too much.

5. While that is cooking, boil some pearl barley and split peas for 40 minutes, skimming and discarding any soapy froth off the top.

6. When the barley/peas are swollen and nearly cooked (should be about 40 mins), take the cabbage wedges out and set aside for serving, and finish the barley/peas mix in the pan stock until it has all absorbed.