Cabbage Time!!!

All of the cabbages are sweet now. I found the biggest one I have ever seen at Young’s Farm in Glen Head, NY. It wasn’t overgrown and old. Just big and healthy. I wanted to preserve its natural form and serve it as is. I cut the 2-inch wide EQUATOR section out of it, keeping the heart intact so it would stay together for a roasting.

On this cross section I want to caramelize the sugars on the surface and get a lot of color and flavor while leaving the inside gently cooked through. This cabbage has a great raw flavor that I want to preserve too. I want to try to combine two great cooking methods in one dish. To do this I use a simple marinade of softened butter, olive oil, white soy, Mirin, and a mild spice rub of your choosing. (Fat, Salt, Sweet, Spice). Massage this in so that it penetrates into the slice. To cook it, put it on parchment paper on a sheet tray. 15-20 minutes under a high broiler with 3 flips. Because of the Mirin, a sweet rice wine, the natural sugar in seasonal cabbages, and the butter rub, you will get a lot of color and even some burning on the outer edges. This is ok because the flips submerge the burnt sides into the liquid on the tray. It’s a great effect that lets you get a lot of color without burning.

Slice and serve like a tart.

Perfect cross section. Caramelized surface and gently warmed interior.