Recipe Cabbage Wedge Stuffed with Juniper Butter 'en Papillote'

Morning Glory

Obsessive cook
Staff member
Joined
19 Apr 2015
Local time
1:25 PM
Messages
46,855
Location
Maidstone, Kent, UK
This is a lesson in how to make healthy cabbage ‘unhealthy’ but delicious. Cooked ‘en papillote’ the green outer leaves of the cabbage stay green and flavours are intensified. The caramelised cut edges provide umami flavour and juniper adds a hint of pine forest. Serve on its own with some potatoes to mop up the buttery juice or as a side to pork or game.

fullsizeoutput_4073.jpeg


Ingredients (per wedge)
A little olive oil and butter to fry
40g butter
10 juniper berries plus a few to scatter
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
Salt and pepper

Method
  1. Place 10 juniper berries in a pestle an mortar and crush. Mix the juniper berries with the softened butter - I find it easiest to use my hands. Set aside.
  2. Cut cabbage into chunky wedges. Remove some of the central stalk if its particularly thick.
  3. Melt a little butter in a non-stick pan and add some olive oil. Turn the heat high and place a wedge cut side down, pressing it lightly to encourage some charring. Repeat with the other cut side.
  4. Remove and and allow to cool.
  5. Carefully slightly separate the leaves of the cabbage wedge and stuff with the juniper butter. Its easiest to work one side of the wedge at a time.
  6. Heat oven to 180C.
  7. Place the wedge in a square of foil lined with baking paper.
  8. Season generously with salt and black pepper and a scattering of fennel seeds.
  9. Cover with a second slightly larger sheet of foil to form a tent. Crimp the edges of the foil together to form a tight seal.
  10. Bake for 25 mins.
fullsizeoutput_407b.jpeg
 
This is a lesson in how to make healthy cabbage ‘unhealthy’ but delicious. Cooked ‘en papillote’ the green outer leaves of the cabbage stay green and flavours are intensified. The caramelised cut edges provide umami flavour and juniper adds a hint of pine forest. Serve on its own with some potatoes to mop up the buttery juice or as a side to pork or game.

View attachment 21963

Ingredients (per wedge)
A little olive oil and butter to fry
40g butter
10 juniper berries plus a few to scatter
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
Salt and pepper

Method
  1. Place 10 juniper berries in a pestle an mortar and crush. Mix the juniper berries with the softened butter - I find it easiest to use my hands. Set aside.
  2. Cut cabbage into chunky wedges. Remove some of the central stalk if its particularly thick.
  3. Melt a little butter in a non-stick pan and add some olive oil. Turn the heat high and place a wedge cut side down, pressing it lightly to encourage some charring. Repeat with the other cut side.
  4. Remove and and allow to cool.
  5. Carefully slightly separate the leaves of the cabbage wedge and stuff with the juniper butter. Its easiest to work one side of the wedge at a time.
  6. Heat oven to 180C.
  7. Place the wedge in a square of foil lined with baking paper.
  8. Season generously with salt and black pepper and a scattering of fennel seeds.
  9. Cover with a second slightly larger sheet of foil to form a tent. Crimp the edges of the foil together to form a tight seal.
  10. Bake for 25 mins.
View attachment 21964

Beautiful picture, we all love cabbage here. I will try this at some stage. I normally just stir fry with butter. Or I also like it steamed and served with mint sauce. They go together really well. I cooked a whole cabbage here Sunday, the whole lot got devoured.

Russ
 
Beautiful picture, we all love cabbage here. I will try this at some stage. I normally just stir fry with butter. Or I also like it steamed and served with mint sauce. They go together really well. I cooked a whole cabbage here Sunday, the whole lot got devoured.

Russ

I was surprised by how good the method of cooking cabbage 'en papillote' is. The charring is important first to get that umami - but then the 'en papillote' traps in and intensifies all the flavour. I reckon there are many ways this could be done by varying spices and substituting butter with olive oil or wine.

Your idea of serving cabbage with mint sauce is very interesting - I've never tried that but I'm thinking I may experiment with the idea using the 'en papillote' method. :okay:
 
Last edited:
I was surprised by how good the method of cooking cabbage 'en papillote' is. The charring is important first to get that umami - but then the 'en papillote' traps in and intensifies all the flavour. I reckon there are many ways this could be done by varying spices and substituting butter with olive oil or wine.

Your idea of serving cabbage cabbage with mint sauce is very interesting - I've never tried that but I'm thinking I may experiment with the idea using the 'en papillote' method. :okay:

I make my own mint sauce, it's quite strong and very popular here. The sauce is really nice with steamed cabbage.

Russ
 
Back
Top Bottom