Creamed Cabbage

The gorgeous vat of cabbage (Charlie Bucket vibes)

Maybe it’s the German in me, but there are few home cooked meals that soothe my soul like creamed cabbage. It’s very rich and takes patience to get it to the perfect caramelization, but always worth it. Easy, versatile, cheap, soul-soothing, and in my opinion, only appropriate for the cold months. I make it slightly different every time, but it always turns out.

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• Wok

• 1 cabbage (red or green)

• 1 onion (or shallot)

• Kielbasa Sausage (or ham, or chicken, or whatever pre cooked meat you’d like)

• Salt & Pepper

• Worcestershire Sauce

• Cream

1. Split cabbage down the middle through the core. Thinly slice the cabbage halves and discard the hard core (lol) parts. Use your hands to break up the pieces and drizzle with good olive oil, salt, and paper in a large bowl.

2. Slice the onion in the same way as the cabbage. Add to the cabbage and add a bit more olive oil. Mix it all up read good.

3. I like to use a wok to cook this recipe, but a large saucepan works too.

4. Making sure the cabbage and onion are coated evenly, add them to your stovetop on medium high and cover. I use a splash screen, but anything will work. I always overdo it with the oil, so watch yourself. You can add but you can’t take away,

5. Checking back every few minutes and using tongs to stir occasionally, the goal is to charr up some of the cabbage and onion. Just a few minutes.

6. Time to add the liquids. Add enough worcestershire to really coat everything. Stir ocassionally.

7. Once the worcestershire has been absorbed some, add the cream. You want to coat everything and and then some. Cover, keep on medium high, and WALK AWAY. If you have kids or something maybe don’t walk away but it drives me mad waiting for this part.

8. Check back every few minutes and stir. This is the longest part. You’re not just wanting soft cabbage and onion, you want the cream to completely cook in and evaporate so you can carmelize everything. A good gauge is when the cabbage and onion are charring. When it tastes rich and flavorful, you’ve hit the sweet spot.

9. During the cabbage cooking time is when I fry up some sausage or whatever meat I have on hand to add to the cabbage mixture after it’s completely done cooking. I don’t like adding the meat to the mixture till the end to keep the crispy and creamy textures separate.

10. Serve as a main dish, side dish, whatever you want. I like it as a main dish when I can add protein to it. It’s a great side and always a rich, wonderful, warm meal in the winter time.

This recipe is a test of my patience every time. You need to wait. When you think it’s ready, wait a little bit. There should be no liquid and everything should be charring when it’s done. Tasting helps a lot at the end. Watch how much oil you add. Once you nail it, you realize how easy and cheap and yummy it is. I’m a hearty girl so this may not be for everyone, but worth the try.