Managing the cold weather months is all about curling up in a warm bed, or beside a fire inside, or dressing in layers to tackle the chill outdoors. Just ask cabbage. The burly ball is all about layers, and cold weather and cozy habits, like lazing around in a warm oven so long that its crisp, fresh bite mellows to tender sweetness.
At that point it’s no longer called cabbage but kapusta, its Polish name.
Kapusta is delightful heaped alongside sausage or stirred into noodles and savored on an winter day.
Makes: 6 servings
1 large heavy green cabbage, halved, cored
1 large sweet yellow onion (such as Vidalia)
6 tablespoons olive oil
Pepper and salt
1. Dice: Cut cabbage into ¾-inch dice. Cut onion into ½-inch dice. In a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot, toss cabbage, onion and oil. Season generously with pepper.
2. Caramelize: Slide pot into a 325-degree oven and let cook uncovered, stirring now and then, until soft, sweet and golden-brown, about 2½ hours. Season with salt.
3. Serve: Delicious as a side dish to sausage or roast meat. Or boil a pound of butterfly noodles and toss with kapusta.
Provenance: Eastern European grandmas everywhere.
— Leah Eskin, Chicago Tribune