“You’ve gotta be nuts,” I hear some of you saying. But, no: I have discovered a Cabbage main that everyone I’ve ever served it to has loved. It’s relatively cheap and easy to make, and it will surprise you with its sweet, mild flavour. And, on top of all that, it’s also really healthy!
Buttery Fried Cabbage with Onions and Sausage: a Polish staple which
must be accompanied by Warm Rye or Sourdough Bread…
Cabbage is not at the top of everyone’s Suppertime Greatest Hits list. But for all the folks who think Cabbage is yucky because they been served poor Cabbage poorly prepared, I’ve got a great recipe you can make in minutes that might just change their minds…
The secret is to remove the bitter outer leaves and use only the lighter-coloured interior leaves, along with the core. And it’s also important to use Sweet Onions like Bremudas or Vidalias, to get the flavour balance just right. My Polish next-door neighbour insists this dish be made with Butter only and no Oil, but I’ve tried to make it healthier and add some herbaceous, umami flavour.
What you need
To serve a family of 4, you’ll need:
1/2 of a large Head of Savoy or regular Green Cabbage, cut into 1/2 in. / 2 cm wide strips
1 medium Sweet Onion, diced medium
1 8 in. / 160 cm length of Keilbassa or Bratwurst Sausage, cut in ‘coins’
3 tbsp. / 45 ml of Olive Oil
2 tbsp. / 30 ml of Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tsp. / 10 ml of Caraway Seeds or Fennel Seeds (for garnish)
What you do
Peel off the outer layers of the Cabbage until you get to the lighter coloured, tighter inner leaves. Quarter and then remove the bitter cores. Slice horizontally across each wedge of Cabbage into strips.
Heat the Oil and Butter to medium in a large frying pan or Wok. When the Butter starts to foam, add the Onion and stir just until it turns transparent. Then, add the Sausage and stir until the coins are browned on both sides.
Add the Cabbage and fold until every piece of Cabbage is coated with the Butter-Oil mixture. This may take a couple of minutes.
Cover and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the Cabbage is wilted.
Remove cover and allow the excess moisture to steam off. Stir until the cabbage starts to brown around the edges, or gets as brown as you’d like it. Keep it moving; don’t let it burn. This stage develops rich, caramelized flavour.
Add Salt and Black Pepper to taste. Most folks use a generous amount of Pepper.
Serve from a heated bowl, topped with a sprinkling of Caraway or Fennel Seeds.
An essential side dish
This dish just isn’t complete without a basket of warm, buttered Sourdough or Light Rye Bread.
And it’s healthy!
Cabbage and its relations in the Cruciform Vegetables Family are well known as great sources of Vitamin C and have recently been shown to help lower the risk of some cancers. It’s also a good source of Potassium and Fibre, while containing no Fat or Cholesterol, and only small amounts of Salt and Sugar.
You don’t have to be Polish…
…Or even Irish to enjoy Cabbage, when it’s prepared the right way. Try this, easy tasty one-pot Cabbage main dish soon. I’ll bet you’ll find yourself making it often thereafter!
~ Maggie J.