Sautéed Cabbage with Bacon and Caraway Seeds

By Dr_Mom

Unlike kale and Brussels sprouts, which have undergone a recent resurgence, cabbage is still considered boring and bland at best and mushy and smelly at worst. In our recipe, we mitigate the pungent flavors and sulfurous odors that can plague many (over)cooked cabbage dishes while bringing out the vegetable’s natural sweetness and maintaining a crisp-tender texture. Instead of boiling or braising, we pan-steam and sauté the cabbage over relatively high heat to cook it quickly and add an extra layer of flavor from browning. A precooking step of soaking the cabbage reduces bitterness while providing extra moisture to help the cabbage steam. Cooked alliums help reinforce sweetness, while an acid provides a shot of brightness.

Ingredients

• 1 small head red cabbage (1 1/4 pounds), cored and sliced thin (green cabbage may be substituted if you prefer)
• 1 tbl cider vinegar
• 2 tsp packed brown sugar
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 red onion, halved and sliced thin (if you use green cabbage you can use a yellow ontion unless you like the contrast of the onion with the cabbage)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Preparation

Step 1

Green cabbage may be substituted for the red. Soaking and draining the cabbage gets rid of some of the enzymes that produce sulfurous flavors; do not skip this step.

1. Place cabbage in large bowl and cover with cold water; let stand for 3 minutes. Drain cabbage well and set aside. Meanwhile, stir together vinegar and sugar in medium bowl.

2. Cook bacon in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat into small bowl and set aside. Add onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add caraway seeds and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer onion mixture to bowl with vinegar mixture.

3. Return now-empty skillet to medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon reserved fat, and heat until shimmering. Add cabbage and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook, without stirring, until cabbage is wilted and lightly browned on bottom, about 3 minutes.

4. Stir and continue to cook, uncovered, until cabbage is crisp-tender and lightly browned in places, about 4 minutes longer, stirring once halfway through cooking. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in onion mixture and reserved bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste, transfer to serving bowl, and serve.