Pepper-braised cabbage wedges

This recipe, based on varză calita – a classic Romanian cabbage dish – is one to convert any cabbage avoiders. It is sweet and tender, the perfect side to any large meal. The addition of toasted walnuts came about after a conversation with Romanian food writer Irina Georgescu. She told me of another cabbage dish, varză dulce, mostly eaten during times of fasting due to the absence of oil (walnut oil is the occasional exception in Romania, due to the trees being in abundance in the Subcarpathian mountains). It is made by simmering cabbage and tomatoes until soft, and finished with walnuts to for fat and flavour. If you are strictly fasting, then feel free to remove the sunflower oil from this recipe, and start by griddling the cabbage. Simmer the onions and pepper in water, with the lid on to soften, and go from there.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Trim the cabbage, removing any tatty outer leaves, and cut into eight wedges. Cut out a little of the thick core, but leaving a little in place to hold the leaves together (having said that if they fall apart it isn’t the end of the world – just makes them harder to fry). Place a wide flameproof casserole or large frying pan on a medium heat and add three tablespoons of sunflower oil. Season and fry the cut sides of the cabbage wedges for around 8 –10 minutes, turning halfway through, until charred – this will give it amazing flavour overall. While the cabbage is searing, peel and finely slice the onions. Halve the pepper, remove the seeds, and finely slice. When the cabbage is ready, keep to one side, turn the heat down a little and sauté the sliced onions and pepper for 10 minutes, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil and seasoning them well. When they are soft, add the tomato purée and sweet paprika to the pan, fry for a couple of minutes then add the plum tomatoes, sugar, bay leaf and stock. Bring to the boil, breaking the tomatoes up with your wooden spoon, and season well. Once the sauce is boiling, gently nestle in the cabbage wedges, cut side up, and squeeze over the juice of half of the lemon. Season, cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 45 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.

Step 2

Meanwhile, if using the walnuts, preheat your oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4. Place the walnuts in a small ovenproof dish and toast in the oven for 8 minutes. Leave to cool then roughly chop. When the cabbage is ready, remove the lid from the pan, stir in the chopped walnuts and turn the heat up. Cook for a further 10 –12 minutes, so that the sauce has reduced and is thickened. Taste, adjust the seasoning and squeeze in lemon juice to taste.