Buttered Cabbage and Apple with Seared Serrano
Known in French as an “Embeurrée de choux”, this Buttered Cabbage recipe is a cold-weather staple hailing from central France. The idea here is to turn shredded cabbage utterly soft and melty by cooking it in a generous amount of butter, along with onions garlic and a sprinkle of fragrant Juniper berries. It’s quick, simple and a tasty side-dish and that can easily be turned into a main with a few adds-ons… like in today’s recipe. Cabbage, Apple and Ham – a perfect trio. I am very fond of the…
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- ½ medium Savoy Cabbage, cut into wedges
- 6 tbsp butter (85g) (salted or unsalted), divided
- 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
- 7-8 Juniper berries, whole
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 large apple (Cortland, Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), cut into tiny sticks
- 3 tbsp (45ml) Apple Cider Vinegar
- 4 slices Serrano Ham (about 70g)
Instructions
- 1
Make sure you read the cooking notes before you start.
- 2
Step 1 - Bring a large pot of water with 1 tsp of salt to a boil. Add the cabbage wedges and boil for 5 minutes. Transfer the cabbage to a bowl of ice cold water. Set aside to cool.
- 3
Step 2 - In a large pan, over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion slices, sliced garlic, Juniper berries, black pepper and salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is slightly golden and caramelized.
- 4
Step 3 - Cut the cabbage into shreds, and add it to the pan along with 2 extra tablespoons of butter. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is soft (but still with a slight crunch).
- 5
Step 4 - Add the apple sticks to the pan, along with 3 tablespoons (45ml) of apple cider vinegar. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apple is soft and melty, and the liquid has evaporated.
- 6
Step 5 - In a separate pan, sear the slices of Serrano ham over medium-heat, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Serve immediately by placing two slices of Serrano ham on top of a bed of cabbage and apple.