Author Notes
This is what I came up with when trying to class up cabbage to bring to a "Friendsgiving" dinner a few years ago. It's very similar, I think, to English braised cabbage, but with coriander seeds. It makes a nice vitamin-rich addition to all the starches that feature so prominently at Thanksgiving, a hearty side to pork chops, or, with rice or potatoes, a simple and comforting meal when you're feeling a little under the weather. The amounts are eminently adjustable. (Incidentally, this is the dish I had in hand when I first learned about food52--I brought it to family Thanksgiving last year, whither a cousin and friend of Merrill's brought the challah stuffing that won last year's Thanksgiving contest!) —ody
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Ingredients
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
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1 tablespoon
butter
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3/4 to 1 cups
chopped onion
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5
cloves garlic, peeled and chopped into large pieces
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1-2
apples, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped (grannysmith or macintosh both work well, but most any variety will do)
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1 tablespoon
dried thyme (sub with 1.5 Tb fresh if you have it)
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1 tablespoon
whole coriander seeds
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1
small head of cabbage (2-3 lbs), shredded. (Red cabbage makes for great but uniform color; green cabbage lets picky eaters see all the ingredients.)
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3 teaspoons
salt
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pepper
to taste
Directions
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Choose a large-bottomed pan with a close-fitting lid. (I love to use a braiser, but a 3- or 4-quart saucepan does great, too.) On medium heat, add the oil and butter and wait until the butter has melted and frothed a little.
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Add the onions and cook until translucent and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally.
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Add the apples, garlic, thyme, and coriander and cook until the apples are softened and beginning to caramelize, about 5 minutes.
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Add the cabbage in handfuls, stirring quickly but thoroughly after each handful. (If you can't fit all the cabbage in at this stage, don't worry, it'll cook down quickly; just fill the pan 3/4 of the way and stir frequently.) Stir in salt and put on the lid. Check after a couple of minutes to make sure the cabbage is releasing its water and nothing's burning on the bottom of the pan. Add a few teaspoons of water if needed. (Try not to add too much or you'll end up with soupy cabbage---so long as the bottom the pan is moist you should be fine.)
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Continue to cook, stirring occasionally and adding the rest of the cabbage as you acquire the space for it. Once you have 1/4 inch of liquid in the bottom of the pan, turn up the heat to medium-high. Keep cooking until the cabbage is tender, about 20-30 minutes.
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Add a few turns of black pepper to taste.
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