Ingredients
- 2 baby pointed cabbages
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed whole
- 1/2 cup water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 2 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 sprigs thyme
- Lemon juice for seasoning
Author of this recipe
Baby pointed cabbages are so sweet and versatile! I hope we start to see them more often in supermarkets.
They are sweeter than round varieties, great for both caramelising and eating raw. The short core makes them easier to shed for slaw, with fewer big chunks to pull out of the mix. The leaves are wrapped less tightly than round cabbage, so you can easily peel them off whole, for lovely stuffed parcels and rolls.
Also these pointed cabbages can be easily quartered – the structure of the core means the leaves hold their form when the head is quartered – like this recipe.
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Cut the cabbage into lengthwise quarters.
- Heat half the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-based pan. Brown off the cabbage quarters individually in the hot pan, then set them aside.
- Add spices, tomato paste, crushed garlic, remainder of the olive oil, thyme and water to an ovenproof pan and simmer on medium heat for about 1 minute until slightly reduced.
- Place the browned cabbage quarters into the pan and press into the liquid so they come halfway up the pan.
- Cover the pan with a lid and place in the oven. Braise for 40 minutes, then uncover and cook for another 30-40 minutes or until tender.
- Remove from the oven and squeeze a little lemon juice over the top.
- Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds, parsley or rocket.
Tips from the author
Of course, if you can’t find baby sweet pointed cabbages at your grocer, round cabbages will work too – but I urge you to try one if you see it! They are fantastic.
This is a beautiful and melt-in-your-mouth dish. It’s soft and rich, festive and fun. Perfect with a roast lamb or amongst a middle-eastern feast.
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