Savoy cabbage is one of the most beautiful vegetables there is, it is not for nothing it appears in so many photos and on so many book covers. But to reduce it's beauty to superficial considerations would be to ignore the other dimensions that this cabbage holds within its closely knitted leaves. I am not talking about all the health benefits it has, no I am talking about its flavour. Now there is a problem, a visual problem, and that is that the longer it cooks, the better it tastes but the longer it cooks, the uglier it gets. If you cook shredded savoy cabbage with some sliced leek, carrot and maybe with a little white wine (though that is absolutely not necessary) for about 45-60 minutes on low heat, you end up with a fantastic tasting dish that doesn't look promising at all. I have had more than one guest who approached the bowl with Savoy cabbage cooked this way with hesitation but after having tasted it, asked for more and more.
Which just proves that sometimes beauty hides other dimensions that can be of interest to you, you just need to look beyond appearances be they beautiful or ugly. The same old twaddle that has been mashed into us since we were small but oh so true. Especially when it comes to Savoy cabbage....
PARMA HAM PARCELS FILLED SAVOY CABBAGE
8-10 parcels
1 small head of Savoy cabbage
1 small leek
1 medium carrot
1/2 glass of water or dry white wine
salt
extra-virgin olive oil
8-10 slices of Parma ham
Trim and cut the cabbage and leek in thin slices, peel and slice the carrot. Heat up some olive oil in a pan with thick bottom and gently fry leek and carrot for 3-4 minutes.
Add the cabbage, add a little salt and stir well. After 2-3 minutes, add the water on put the lid on. Keep on cooking on low heat, stirring now and then, for about 35-40 minutes. The cabbage should look greenish brown and be very soft, almost as if it has melted. You can do this the day before if you need it, just keep it cold until you need to use it.
Bake in a pre-heated oven (225°C/440°F) for 10 minutes and then serve.
I don't know many ways to cook savoy cabage, but i LOVE it, so this is dfinitely a recipe I will be trying soon. Loos so simple but incredibly satisfying. And healthy!
ReplyDeleteThank you, savoy cabbage is satifying when cooked well!
DeleteI love when you make the humblest of the foods, the most spectacular, and you do it often. I pretty much grew up with savoy cabbage on my plate, and never once thought about it as 'beautiful', until I saw your pictures of it, these and from the dishes you cooked with it in the past. So inspiring. And by the way, thanks for sneaking in another recipe in the post - the cabbage, leeks, carrots, wine combination sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteWhen I grew up you hardly saw a Savoy cabbage in Sweden unless in a photo so I went high-wire when i moved here and can pick and choose every winter! Love it!
DeleteI had savoy cabbage parcels today for lunch! :) I stuffed them with buckwheat kasha, fennel, celery and chorizo sausage - it was very good.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I like to make savoy cabbage pesto - ever tried? :)
These parma parcels look very tempting... and your wooden chopping board collection's simply adorable!
Oh that sounds very good, I love savoy cabbage parcels!
DeleteWhat a gorgeous idea. I'm planning to cook some pigeon breasts for Valentine's Day dinner and I think this would be the perfect side dish. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.
ReplyDeleteThank you and I hope you like it!
DeleteI have never tried savoy cabbage. I don't know why, perhaps because it's not that popular in Greece, yet whenever I see it in photographs I just want to grab it and eat it. It does photograph well.
ReplyDeleteYour parcels look amazing. My instinct would be to cook this dish the other way around, making cabbage parcels stuffed with ham. Would that be weird? :)
Magda
No not weird at all, that is the usual thing to do but I felt like reversing it all and I also liked the idea of crispy salt prosciutto with a sweet and soft cabbage filling!
DeleteI am glad I stopped by after quite some time. Your photgraphs and recipes never fail me. I love it all!
ReplyDeleteOh it is so nice to see you here again, I have missed you!
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