How to cook cabbage

It is hard to think of a foodstuff more in need of a good spin-doctor than cabbage. The word itself is ugly; it sounds brutish and Anglo-Saxon despite its Latin roots. (It derives from the Old French caboche, meaning head.) There is no poetry in it. Literally: the best my rhyming dictionary can do is 'frottage'.

Perhaps because it sounds so awful, cabbage has developed a second life as an insult. In a feat of linguistic flexibility, it is a derogatory term for both a swot and a moron. Its smell is synonymous with the corridors of unhappy institutions. We think of it as a punitive food: something you eat as penance for being ill, fat, poor, young, old or otherwise incarcerated.

Yet if it had a prettier name (and a bigger price-tag) we would recognise cabbage as a thing of wonder. Treated right, it is one of the most more-ish of vegetables. When I was little, my mother used to make us steamed white cabbage dressed with butter, soy sauce and lemon juice. Sweet and soft and salty. My sisters and I ate it with our fingers, dipping chunks of bread into the serving bowl to soak up the leftover juices.

This is the trick to getting the best out of cabbage: cook it simply and then dress it up a bit. Like a mellow sort of salad, it needs a balance of fat (butter, in this case) and acid (vinegar or citrus), followed by a judicious crunching of salt and pepper. If you are feeling bolder, cabbage also absorbs strong flavours magnificently – such as the spices, charring or prosciutto suggested in the recipes below.

Not for nothing is the modern French word for cabbage – chou – used as a term of affection. So cast aside your Anglo-Saxon prejudices, mon petit chou, and let this misunderstood brassica win your heart.

Spiced cabbage with carrot and mustard seeds

Think of this as a warm Indian slaw. It is great hot or cold, eaten on its own, or with rice and dhal or as an accompaniment to a curry.

Serves 4
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 dried chilli
½ savoy or pointed cabbage, sliced thinly
2 large carrots grated
juice ½ lemon
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Chopped coriander

1 In a large pan or wok heat the oil with the mustard seeds and dried chilli. As soon as the mustard seeds start to pop, tip in the cabbage and carrot and stir fry over a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the cabbage has wilted.

2 Add the lemon juice, sugar and chopped coriander. Season.

Raw cabbage with parmesan, balsamic and prosciutto

This is based on a dish that Jane ate in Modena, Italy. Savoy cabbage or hispi are best. It also works with shaved fennel in place of cabbage.

Serves 4
¼ savoy cabbage, sliced very finely
2 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp fine parmesan slivers
Thinly sliced prosciutto or other ham, to serve

1 Mix the shredded cabbage with the balsamic vinegar and the parmesan.

2 Season well and fold together.

3 Serve with the prosciutto.

Charred cabbage with a mint and chilli dressing

Works with white, savoy or hispi cabbage. This recipe is from Fast Vegetarian.

Serves 6
1 head of cabbage
Olive oil, for tossing

For the dressing
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 red chilli, chopped
2 tsp honey
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp chopped mint
Salt and pepper

1 Cut the cabbage into wedges lengthways so that the leaves are still attached to the base.

2 To make your dressing, mix all the ingredients in a shallow container.

3 Toss the wedges in a little olive oil and grill in batches on a griddle plate or a barbecue so that they are slightly charred.

4 Transfer the leaves to the dressing container while they are hot. Toss and serve.

Cabbage with caraway and bacon

Works with white cabbage, savoy or pointed. A classic Polish treatment.

Serves 4
100g streaky bacon
½ cabbage, shredded (cut as finely as you can)
1 tbsp caraway seeds
Good vinegar (red, white, or cider)
Handful of parsley

1 Cook smoked streaky bacon cut into narrow strips across the width of the bacon (known as lardons) in a little butter until lightly browned

2 Add the caraway seeds and cook for another minute. Tip in the cabbage and stir for a few minutes to wilt it.

3 Turn the heat down and cover the pan. Leave for 5 minutes to finish cooking over a low heat.

4 To finish, season well, sprinkle with a little good vinegar and chopped parsley

Cabbage with soy and sesame

Serves 4
½ cabbage – white or hispi works best
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbs soy
Knob of butter

1 Chop cabbage finely and steam.

2In a large shallow pan over a low heat, cook the garlic, ginger and sesame seeds in a tablespoon of sunflower oil for 2 minutes.

3 Before the garlic browns, add the soy sauce and a knob of butter.

4 Add your steamed chopped cabbage to this mixture, mix well and season if necessary.

Cabbage with summer greens, broad beans and lentils

A more substantial fresh summer dish using all the best greens. Cooked chopped chard, spinach or beet tops can also be used in place of cabbage. Cooked artichoke slices also make a great addition.

Serves 6

½ hispi cabbage, sliced
A handful of summer greens
A handful of cooked broad beans
A handful of frozen peas
A handful of cooked puy lentils
1 clove of garlic, chopped finely
Chopped herbs – a mixture of mint, parsley and tarragon would be good. But use any soft herbs you can get your hands on.
A lemon

1 Steam or boil the cabbage and the summer greens.

2 While they are hot, combine them with the cooked broad beans, peas, puy lentils and garlic (these can all be at room temperature).

3 Dress with good olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and loads of chopped herbs. Season and serve.

All recipes by Jane Baxter, who teaches at Root Camp, a cooking and foraging course for young people in Wales this August: rootcamp.co.uk. Henry Dimbleby is co-founder of the natural fast-food restaurant chain Leon (@henry_leon). Get your kids cooking at cook5.co.uk