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Prep time
6 hours 30 minutes
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Cook time
1 hour 10 minutes
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Serves
3 to 4
Author Notes
Whether you’re braising a meat or vegetable, follow the same simple steps: Sear the main ingredient, sauté some aromatics, add a flavorful liquid, and simmer everything until tender. Here cabbage is deeply charred before braising with cashew milk, ginger, scallions, chiles, and garlic. The cabbage becomes weak in the knees while the cashew milk transforms into a thick pudding, similar to soft tofu or cheese. Don’t be scared of deeply charring the cabbage wedges— rather than tasting acrid, they will grow nutty and sweet. The final garnish of cashew-flecked chile oil cuts through all the richness and adds crunch. This recipe makes more chile oil than you will need (a good thing!). Try the extra over eggs, tossed with noodles, or alongside dumplings.
If you want to have a go at a meaty braise, try this recipe for Garlic-Studded Pork Shoulder With Anchovies & Calabrian Chiles, and learn more about how to braise here so you can gain the confidence to take this recipe off-script. —Sohla El-Waylly
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Cashew Milk–Braised Cabbage With Crunchy Chile Oil
Ingredients
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Cashew milk
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3/4 cup
raw cashews
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1 teaspoon
kosher salt
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1/2 teaspoon
granulated sugar
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1/8 teaspoon
MSG (optional)
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Braised cabbage
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8
scallions, thinly sliced (both white and green parts)
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3 tablespoons
neutral oil, such as sunflower, divided
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1
small green cabbage (about 2 pounds), quartered
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1 teaspoon
kosher salt, divided
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1-inch pieces
ginger, peeled and finely grated
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3 to 6
medium Thai green chiles, finely chopped
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8
garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
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3-inch
cinnamon stick, halved
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1 teaspoon
coriander seeds
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1 cup
dry sake (or white wine)
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Fried shallots and crunchy chile oil
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1
medium shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
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1/3 cup
neutral oil
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1/4 cup
raw cashews, finely chopped
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2 tablespoons
gochugaru (or 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes)
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1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
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1/2 teaspoon
granulated sugar
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1/8 teaspoon
MSG (optional)
Directions
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Make the cashew milk: Combine the cashews with 2 cups of water and soak for 6 to 24 hours. Drain and rinse. Blend the soaked cashews with 3 cups of fresh cool water, the salt, sugar, and MSG (if using) until smooth, about 1 minute.
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Braise the cabbage: Heat oven to 350°F. Reserve a small handful of sliced scallions for garnish.
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Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a high-sided skillet with a lid or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the cabbage wedges cut side down and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook undisturbed until deeply browned, 6 to 7 minutes, occasionally pressing the wedges with a spatula (or another pan) to ensure good contact. Flip the wedges and repeat on the other cut side, seasoning with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and transfer the cabbage wedges to a plate.
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Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet along with the ginger, chiles, scallions, garlic, cinnamon, and coriander. Cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic and the scallions have wilted, about 1 minute.
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Increase the heat to medium-high and add the sake, scraping up any brown and black bits that have developed on the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the sake is mostly reduced and the mixture holds a trail when you run a spatula along the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes.
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Add the cashew milk and bring to a bare simmer. Add the cabbage and cover the pan. Braise in the oven until the cabbage is tender and the cashew milk has thickened like pudding, about 45 minutes.
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Meanwhile, make the fried shallots: In a small pot, combine the shallots and oil. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the shallots are lightly golden brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the shallots to a paper towel–lined plate.
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Make the chile oil: Add the cashews to the oil and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the gochugaru, salt, sugar, and MSG (if using).
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Once the cabbage is tender, garnish with 2 tablespoons of chile oil, all the fried shallots, and the reserved scallion greens. Serve with steamed rice and additional chile oil alongside.
Sohla El-Waylly is a Food52 Resident, sharing new riffable recipes every month that'll help you get creative in the kitchen. Watch her cook on YouTube in her new series, Off-Script With Sohla. Before she started developing fun recipes for home cooks, she worked as a chef in N.Y.C. and L.A., briefly owning a restaurant in Brooklyn with her husband and fellow chef, Ham El-Waylly. She lives in the East Village with Ham, their two dogs, and cat. Find out what else she's up to on Instagram @sohlae
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