Whole Roasted Cabbage Food

WHOLE ROASTED CABBAGE

Steps:

• In a small dish, mix the melted butter with the spices (paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and red pepper flakes).
• Pull and remove the outer leaves from the cabbage. Wash the cabbage and pat it dry. Carefully remove the core to expose and access the inner leaves.
• Place the cabbage upside down on a large cast-iron skillet or a baking dish. Using a spoon, spread about three tablespoons of the spiced butter along the inside walls where the core used to be. It's okay if some dribbles out.
• Arrange the potatoes around the cabbage and brush them with the spiced butter, reserving about 2 tablespoons of that butter for later.
• Cover the whole skillet with aluminum foil, and bake at 400°F for 1 hour.
• After the hour, remove the foil and flip the cabbage core-side down. Brush the cabbage with the remaining spiced butter. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for another 25 minutes, or until the cabbage has browned nicely and cooked through.
• Garnish with fresh herbs, like rosemary sprigs, and serve.

WHOLE ROASTED CABBAGE WITH GRAPEFRUIT AND CAMPARI SALSA

Steps:

• Heat the horno, or a home oven, to 350°F (180°C).
• Trim off any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage and trim the core end so it sits flat. With a sharp knife, cut a deep X into the core and put the cabbage in a very large pot with plenty of water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, and blanch for about 5 minutes. Drain and pat the cabbage dry.
• Pour the olive oil into a large deep cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven and roll the cabbage around in it until thoroughly coated. Cover the skillet or Dutch oven tightly with foil or a lid, place in the oven, and roast for about 30 minutes. At this point, check the cabbage for doneness by seeing how deeply you can pierce it with a long metal skewer or kitchen fork. This will give you an idea of how much more cooking time it needs. If the pot seems dry, add a little water.
• Baste the cabbage with more oil and return it to the oven, uncovered, to roast for 40 to 60 minutes (depending on the size of the cabbage), or until it can be easily pierced all the way through.
• Meanwhile, make the salsa. Using long-handled tongs and a pot holder, hold the grapefruit over a hot fire (or gas burner), rotating it occasionally, until the peel is spotted with char in patches, about 5 minutes. When the grapefruit is cool enough to handle, cut it into eighths and scrape the pulp and juice into a small bowl, discarding the seeds and membrane.
• Choose the two least-charred pieces of grapefruit peel and discard the rest. Set the peel down flat; with a small sharp knife, pare off all the bitter white pith, leaving only the zest. Finely chop the zest and set it aside.
• Toast the walnuts in a small pan for about 5 minutes, until crisped and fragrant. Combine the olive oil, Campari, rosemary, grapefruit pulp and juice, and half the grapefruit zest in a bowl and whisk to combine. Taste and add more grapefruit zest only if you think it needs it.
• To serve, set the cabbage on a carving board like you would a roast. Cut it in half through the core, lay the halves down flat, and carve them into wedges, keeping some core attached to each slice to hold them together. Spoon some salsa over the plated slices and serve the rest on the side.

STUFFED WHOLE CABBAGE

Steps:

• Remove the coarse outside leaves from the cabbage and trim the base. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the cabbage for 7 minutes, then refresh under cold running water, drain well.
• Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the onions, season well and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic and sage the set aside to cool.
• Whisk the eggs, salt, allspice and pepper together. Pour into a large bowl and add the pork and cooled onion mixture. Stir in the bread crumbs, parsley and mix well. Fry a small ball of stuffing to check the seasoning. Adjust the stuffing if necessary-it should be well seasoned, as the cabbage will absorb it.
• Spread a section of clean cheesecloth on the work surface and place the cabbage in the centre.
• Open out the leaves carefully, like a flower until you reach the heart and the leaves are small and too brittle to peel back. Starting with the inside circle of leaves, spread about 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 25 mL) of stuffing onto them, then fold them back around the cabbage heart. Repeat with each layer of leaves, adding more stuffing to the bigger leaves. If you run out of stuffing before the last layer, don't worry, just fold those leaves to reform the cabbage. Bring the cloth up around the cabbage to keep it in place and tie the opposite corners.
• Place the cabbage, thyme, bay leaf and juniper berries into a large saucepan or flameproof casserole, and pour in enough chicken stock to come at least halfway up the side of the cabbage. Add a little water if necessary.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Remove the cabbage and let sit for 10 minutes to drain out excess liquid. Bring the cooking juices to a boil, skim and boil gently to reduce slightly.
• Remove the cloth from the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into wedges, removing the core, if desired, and serve with the some of the cooking juices spooned over.