Cabbage has remained a beloved vegetable for culinary enthusiasts for generations. It provides a delightful crunch to dishes such as coleslaw and develops gorgeous caramelisation when pan-fried. This pan-fried cabbage recipe from culinary specialist Erin Clarke of Well Plated takes just 20 minutes to prepare, making it an ideal side dish—particularly for your Sunday roast meal, reports the Express.
After attempting this recipe, Erin mentioned that you’ll find yourself “twirling this cabbage on your fork, nibbling it right out of the pan, and wondering when it was that you became the sort of person who is this enthusiastic about a vegetable.” She continued: “Add a bit of olive oil, butter, heat, and a surprise final ingredient, and the cabbage is transformed into something I would serve to the best of company.
“If you don’t think you like cabbage, if you consider it bland, and even (perhaps, especially) if you don’t consider it at all, give this sauteed cabbage recipe a try. It’s going to surprise and delight you in the most wonderful of ways.”
The “surprise ingredient” Erin referenced is apple cider vinegar.
Since cabbage yearns for acidity, merely half a tablespoon will “completely transform” this pan-fried cabbage and “bring it to life”.
Ingredients (serves six):
- One small head of green cabbage
- One tablespoon of unsalted butter
- One and a half teaspoons of salt
- Half a teaspoon of black pepper
- Half a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, plus additional to taste
- One tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme (optional)
Method
Start by cutting the cabbage in half from its top down through its core. Place the cut side down on your cutting board, then slice it as thinly as possible around the core so that you have fine ribbons. Discard the core.
Next, warm a large pan over medium-high heat. Incorporate olive oil and butter.
When the butter has melted, introduce the cabbage, salt, and pepper.
Pan-fry for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring periodically, until the cabbage becomes tender and starts to develop colour. Don’t feel like you need to constantly stir it.
Leaving cabbage undisturbed for a minute or two as you go is what will allow it to develop brown caramelised bits, aka the flavour.
Afterwards, remove from the heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste and add a bit of additional salt and pepper if you like, or a splash more vinegar if you’d like to add more acidic flavours.
Sprinkle with thyme before serving.
Taking to the comments section of the recipe, fans of Erin’s blog shared their thoughts on the recipe. Lori Jordan said, “Wow. I didn’t really think this dish would be so delicious with such simple ingredients and prep. Even my ‘I hate vinegar’ husband loved this recipe. Thank You!”
Jeff Thompson wrote: “Absolutely delicious! I googled what to do with a bunch of cabbage, and I found this recipe. Indeed, the vinegar really brings it to life.”
Racel commented: “Such a delicious recipe! I made it this way because there just wasn’t room in my slow cooker for cabbage. I’m gonna make it like this from now on, much tastier than if I had just dumped it in the crock pot. Thanks so much for sharing it!”