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This dish uses one of the most underrated and under appreciated vegetables, the cabbage. Full of flavour and easy to make. The cabbage is accompanied by sausage and beans which makes it more of a main then a side dish. It’s a perfect way to incorporate vegetables into your routine. Even though this may fall into the category of a winter dish, it can be enjoyed all year round. Just remember to get some nice toasted or grilled bread.
BRAISED CABBAGE WITH SAUSAGE, TOMATOES AND CANNELLINI BEANS
Recipe by Mark Calaminici | Food Loves Company
Serves 4
Ingredients
Savoy cabbage, medium, cored, halved (one half finely chopped, one half cut into 4 wedges)
Salt, to taste
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
2-3 sausage
1/2 small yellow onion
Chili flakes, to taste
540ml Cannellini beans, drained not rinsed
398ml baby Roma tomatoes
Water or Stock, as needed
Crotonese cheese, to taste
Method
1. Brush the cabbage wedges (both sides) with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Cook the cabbage wedges however you like. Roast, grill, shallow fry or if you can charcoal grill the.
2. In a pan on medium-high heat, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally. You can break up the sausage up into pieces with a wooden spoon. I like to brown up the sausage as they start to get crispy, so let the sausage sit a bit undisturbed to get a bit crispy and colour. You will see the pan may have some fond developing and that will get released when we add the kale and pasta water. Once sausage is cooked remove and set aside.
3. Depending on how much oil is left in the pan, you may have to add another drizzle or two of extra virgin olive oil, add onions, chilli flakes and season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Sauté until onions have softened. Add cannellini beans and cook until blistered and they will puff up a bit. Add tomatoes along with water or stock, same amount that the tomatoes were packed in. Bring the heat down to low-med and cook until the beans and tomatoes have softened. Then remove half of the mixture and blend into a puree. Add the puree back to the pan along with the cabbage and sausage. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper, cover with a lid and cook until cabbage has wilted and softened. At this point you may have to add more liquid depending on how thick everything became. Nestle the wedges into the pan, cover with a lid and braise for about 25-30 minutes until you can easily pierce a knife through the cabbage wedges. Check halfway through braising to see if more liquid is needed. If you feel it has become to much like a soup you can finish the braising with the lid open to reduce a bit more. It’s all preference with how loose or thick you want the final product to be. Plate it up and garnish with freshly cracked pepper, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and Crotonese cheese. Enjoy!