Cabbage: Blood-orange Braised Cabbage on Barley

By blum099

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• Blood-orange Braised Cabbage on Barley
• Serves 3-4
• 1 cup / 200g lightly pearled or hulled barley
• 2 – 2 1/2 cups water or broth
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 small head red cabbage (approx. 500g /1 lb.)
• 2 medium onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• knob of coconut oil or ghee
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp. fennel seeds
• 1/2 Tbsp mustard seeds
• 2 whole star anise
• black pepper
• 1 cup blood orange juice (from 3-4 oranges, any orange would be fine)
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 blood orange, segmented for garnish
• olive oil to garnish
• flat-leaf parsley (or mint), for garnish if desired

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a measuring cup, measure out 1 cup of barley, cover with water and rub grains together to wash. Drain and repeat until water is almost clear. Drain and place in a small saucepan with 2 cups water or broth and salt. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until tender, about 40-50 minutes (if the liquid evaporates before the barley is cooked, add another half cup water). Remove from heat, let sit for a few minutes, then fluff with a fork.
2. While the barley is cooking, prepare all the vegetables. Slice the cabbage into thin ribbons, slice onions, mince garlic. Juice oranges, and segment one for garnish, set aside.
3. Heat a knob of coconut oil or ghee in a large stockpot. Add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds begin to pop, add fennel seeds, bay leaves, star anise, and a few grinds of black pepper. Let cook for about a minute. Add onions, stir to coat and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and cabbage, stir to coat and let sit on medium heat for a couple minutes to caramelize the vegetables.
4. Next add the apple cider vinegar and stir – this will deglaze the bottom of the pot. Pour in the orange juice, stir well. With the pot covered, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and let cook for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is cooked to your liking (I prefer mine al dente, tender but with a slight crispness still left).
5. Section a blood orange for garnish, set aside. Roughly chop parsley.
6. To serve, place a helping of barley on each plate, followed by the braised cabbage, a few segments of blood orange, parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy warm, or folded together as a salad in the warmer months.