Ingredients
| 1kg green cabbage (half a large cabbage) | |
| ½ cup olive oil | |
| 1 onion, finely sliced | |
| 3 cloves garlic, chopped | |
| 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar | |
| 1½ cups pearl barley | |
| 125ml white wine | |
| 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock, hot | |
| 1 cup frozen peas | |
| 75g parmesan, grated plus extra to serve |
Somehow, I’m often left with half a cabbage lurking in my fridge and I absolutely love Marcella Hazan’s smothered cabbage, slow cooking it with plenty of olive oil. It makes a great base for soups and stews or simply as a side dish. Here I have used a similar idea, braising the cabbage until super tender then adding barley and peas for a hearty and nutritious meal.
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Instructions
| 1. | Cut the core out of the centre of the cabbage and discard. |
| 2. | Cut the cabbage into slices about half a centimetre thick, discarding any very thick leaf stems. Set aside. |
| 3. | Heat the oil in a large heavy-based casserole over a medium heat and fry the onion with a sprinkle of salt for 10 minutes until turning golden. |
| 4. | Add the garlic and fry for a few minutes. Add the cabbage and stir through then add the vinegar, some more salt and a grind of black pepper. |
| 5. | Stir to combine then cover, turn the heat to very low and cook for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. |
| 6. | At this point you can set the cabbage aside for a couple of hours until you are ready to cook or refrigerate for up to 3 days but bring it back to hot before finishing the recipe. |
| 7. | Stir the barley through the hot cabbage then raise the heat to hot. |
| 8. | Add the wine and bring to the boil; boil for a few minutes until absorbed then add the stock, return to the boil before reducing to a simmer. |
| 9. | Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes until the barley is tender. |
| 10. | If your stock is unsalted, you might want to add a bit more salt at this point. |
| 11. | Stir through the peas for a few minutes to heat through then stir in the parmesan. |
| 12. | Serve with extra parmesan and a grind of black pepper. |
Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Fiona Lascelles