This Horseradish Braised Cabbage is sinfully delicious. Cabbage melts in velvety horseradish sauce, becoming incredibly tender.
Braise Your Vegetables
Often a cooking method reserved for meat, braising is a technique you should familiarize yourself with for vegetables, too. Yielding soft, tender, and unbeatable flavorful results, braising might just be my (and you?) new favorite way to cook. To learn more about this cooking method, check out my article all about How To Roast and Braise Vegetables.
How To Braise Vegetables
First, let’s discuss what braising actually is. Braising means cooking food in liquid. No, we won’t be boiling cabbage (semi-yuck?), we’re rather slowly coaxing deep flavor from it by cooking it low and in a flavorful cooking liquid.
Stock, wine, beer, and water all make fine braising liquids, and a combination of the aforementioned can pay off with major flavor. I originally made this recipe for my parents and husbands at the cabin this past weekend. We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day early with a corned beef brisket, so I knew I wanted to do a side dish of cabbage. When I saw this recipe online, my interest was piqued: horseradish is an underappreciated ingredient I feel, and I was excited to try it out in a cream sauce.
The results are somewhat beyond words. Positively mouthwatering, this dish couldn’t be more simple to make! I’ve made a few slight adaptations from the original recipe written by Amy Thielen. Our cabin happens to be the next town over from where she lives…it must be fate!
How To Make Horseradish Braised Cabbage
In order to avoid any burnt-bottom-of-the-pan nonsense, line a heavy-duty cast iron Dutch oven pan with the outside (washed!) leaves of the cabbage. This creates a cute little “nest” for the cabbage wedges to sit in.
You’ll then add the wedges of cabbage in to the pan, nestling them together.
I stray from the original recipe which is primarily cream (and admittedly VERY delicious) and opt for a mixture of milk, cream, and chicken stock. There’s also white wine, and of course horseradish! This mixture is poured over the cabbage, and is considered its braising liquid.
After a quick steam on the stovetop, the pan is moved to the oven so it can continue to cook. The smell that will permeate your home is enough to set off my salivary glands just thinking about. Prepare yourself!
Time To Make Horseradish Braised Cabbage
In conclusion, I’d like to kindly but firmly twist your arm into making this unbeatable dish. The spicy, creamy, sour flavor combination is truly something to be experienced, and I’m guessing there won’t be much for leftovers.
I’m also betting I won’t have to twist that arm, right?
Horseradish Braised Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 head green cabbage
- 1/2 cup 2% or whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1/3 cup horseradish
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a large Dutch oven pan, line the pan with the peeled outer leaves of the head of cabbage. These serve as a little nest that will help prevent burning.
- Slice the head of cabbage in two, then quarter each half. You'll end up with eight wedges of cabbage. Do your best to keep the root intact on each wedge.
- Arrange cabbage wedges in pan doing your best to keep the pointed ends turned up. It's ok if you need to squeeze in the last few wedges.
- Combine the milk, cream, stock, wine, horseradish, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour over cabbage.
- Cover pan and set over medium heat. Allow cabbage to steam lightly for about 5 minutes.
- Transfer pan without its lid to the oven Continue cooking for about 55 minutes, basting the cabbage once during its cook time. Cabbage should be tender, fragrant, and lightly browned.
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