Braised cabbage is a flavorful and juicy dish that can take less than an hour to cook if you are not preparing some special dish like Polish bigus. There are many recipes for stewed cabbage, but most often they differ in additional ingredients added to the dish, and not in the method of its preparation.
Which cabbage is suitable for stewing
Most often, white cabbage is stewed, fresh or sauerkraut, but it is far from the only one suitable for this type of processing. With certain reservations regarding color change, you can stew red cabbage, it takes much less time to cook Savoy cabbage or Chinese cabbage stew.
How to process cabbage for stewing
Whether you are stewing white cabbage, red cabbage, savoy cabbage or Chinese cabbage, preparing the vegetable for stewing is the same. First, remove all wilted, spoiled, discolored upper leaves, then wash and dry the head of cabbage. Then cut it into quarters and remove the tough stump. Each quarter should be chopped into thin strips or squares.
If you are going to stew sauerkraut, it should be washed in a colander under running water, then squeezed well.
How to stew white cabbage correctly
In a large deep skillet, heat a spoonful of vegetable oil or melt a spoonful of butter over medium-high heat. Arrange the shredded cabbage and sauté it, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown. Pour in ½ cup warm boiled water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer cabbage for about 30-40 minutes. This recipe is suitable for cooking 1-1 ½ kilograms of vegetables.
For added aroma and flavor, dried herbs such as dill and parsley, cumin, fried bacon, sausages, and diced apple can be added to the stewed cabbage.
How to stew red cabbage
Red cabbage is stewed in the same way as white cabbage, but with one serious nuance. Red cabbage contains anthocyanins, compounds that give it a rich color, but when in contact with hot water, they will also color the vegetable in an unappetizing lavender color. To avoid this, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to each cup of raw kale before pouring water into the pot or pan.
How to stew Savoy or Peking cabbage
The more tender Savoy or Peking cabbage is stewed in the same way as white cabbage, but much less in time. Try openwork savoy cabbage. To do this, for 1 head of cabbage you will need:
- 110 grams of bacon;
- 55 grams of butter;
- 90 ml of dry white wine;
- 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley;
- 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds;
- 2 tablespoons of sour cream;
- salt and freshly ground pepper.
Melt the butter in a skillet and fry the bacon strips for 3-4 minutes. Add shredded cabbage, stir and pour in wine, season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat, covered, for 7-10 minutes. Add fennel seeds, parsley and sour cream. Stir and serve.
