In The Book of Greens, Portland chef Jenn Louis has an answer for anyone going through a case of kale fatigue. It turns out, there are hundreds of ways to cook and eat greens that never even occurred to us.
I love the simplicity of this recipe: There are not many ingredients, yet they all bring out the sweetness of the cabbage. Searing the cabbage in a hot pan gives it a smoky depth, and the miso butter enhances the sweetness even more. A squeeze of lime cuts through it all, adding brightness. This is the sort of recipe that is so simple, you can practically taste the innate nutrition of cabbage.
4 servings
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a small bowl, mix the butter and miso until combined. Set aside.
- Over high heat, warm ¼ cup [60 ml] of the oil in each of two large cast-iron or other ovenproof sauté pans. When very hot, place half of the cabbage wedges, cut side down, in each pan. Do not overcrowd the pans. Leave the cabbage wedges in the pans without turning until the cut sides are charred and lightly blackened, about 3 minutes. If the oil is absorbed by the cabbage and the pan appears dry, add more oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the pan is lightly coated.
- When lightly charred, turn the cabbage wedges cut side up and spread the miso butter on the cut sides, dividing it evenly.
- Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the color matches the first side. When seared on both sides, place the pans with the cabbage in the preheated oven.
- Using a spoon, baste every 5 minutes with melted butter from the bottom of the pan. After 10 minutes, season lightly with kosher salt on both sides. The total roasting time should be about 20 minutes, and the cabbage should be very tender and charred.
- Remove the cabbage from the oven, sprinkle with the flaky salt, and squeeze the lime wedges over the top. Serve immediately.
Reprinted with permission from The Book of Greens by Jenn Louis, copyright © 2017. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
