Broiled Purple Cabbage & Sausage
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- Food & Wine
- / Main Course
During the dead of winter in Sharon Springs, mealtimes can get a little uninspiring. The final vestiges of last summer’s garden in the root cellar consist of a few unusably-soft potatoes with sprouts as long as spider legs, some equally spongy onions, jars and jars of tomato sauce (on which we’ve long since OD’d,) and…wait…what’s that lurking in the corner by the pickles? In one of the bushel baskets we stashed away until next year’s bounty? It’s…it’s….sheild your eyes…colorful!
Yes, color is notably absent from mid-winter foodstuffs. But because we sow our garden continuously throughout the growing season, one of the last crops we’re fortunate enough to harvest is cabbage. And one of our favorite varieties of cabbage is Mammoth Red Rock. (Seeds available here.) This bright red/purple variety seems to store almost as well as it’s hardier green cousins, so we usually have a serviceable head or two sitting on our basement until late January.
But whether purple or green, when cabbage is boiled or sauteed it’s as blah and mushy as a cloud covered winter day. We like a little crispness in our cabbage, even if it’s not exactly coleslaw weather outside. Our solution? Broil it in a super hot oven or broiler. Not too long. just enough to get a little burnt edges before it collapses into its usually mush. Part of the leaves should still be raw and crunchy. Then toss is with flavorful sausage, sweet orange/white wine sauce, and some chunky homemade croutons for even more crunch.
For a minute you might even forget that winter isn’t even half over and all you have left in the basement are tarantula potatoes.
Recipe after the slide show. Let us know in the comment section what ingredients cheer you up midwinter.
Beekman 1802 Simple Sausage and Purple Cabbage.
1/4 large head purple cabbage (or 1/2 of small head.)
2 tablespoons olive oil (plus extra for coating croutons)
1 lb hot italian sausage, sliced into 1 inch rounds (use very sharp knife to keep cut through skin without smushing.)
1 large onion, chopped
2 oranges, zested and juiced (keep zest separate from juice.)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/3 cup chopped, fresh parsley
four thick slices of rustic white or sourdough bread
salt, pepper to taste
Preheat broiler. Carefully cut purple cabbage into 1/2 inch slices. place slices in one layer on roast-proof baking sheet or broiling pan. Broil for approximate 4-6 minutes or until some outer edges have burnt. Do not over-broil or cabbage will become too soft.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes, toss with olive oil to coat, and bake for 12-18 minutes until browned, turning occasionally to prevent uneven burning.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add sausage rounds and saute over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked through and browned. Transfer with slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate. In same pan, add chopped onions and saute over medium-high until translucent and beginning to caramelize. Add white wine, orange juice, and raisins to pan with onions, and simmer until slightly reduced. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Plate cabbage first then top with sausage and croutons. Pour sauce over plate, and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and orange zest.
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Made this last night and it was absolutely delish! I love cabbage so the picture was very appealing and the taste……. yummy! I will not change a thing. P.S. It is even great here in balmy SW Florida where it was 80 degrees yesterday. So sand or snow, a great meal.
Made this last night and it really hit the spot, as it was a cold, slightly dreary January day. I did add to the recipe by using my new “little liza bowl” votive as a bit of light. Had been to the store earlier in the day to pick up a few for gifts and then had to add more for me!
Glad I did – really lovely. Thanks for all you do!
Deb
This sounds delicious. Simple but filling. I truly enjoy your posts, it inspires me and brings a little bit of Sharon Springs to San Diego.
OMG, I can’t wait to go to my favorite market and pick up some fresh German sausage. You know I don’t do much as far as cooking BUT this I shall make. Maybe I’ll even get a picture. sue t.
Great story and pictures!
Thanks for sharing, Josh and Brent! :* May you have a safe and happy Winter!
And for city slickers without gardens, fruit cellars or dragon basements, we hit the Indian buffet and on today’s menu: cabbage matar-lovely spices with a bit of crunch. Time of year for cabbage. I’m going to check my cookbook stash & see if I can find an Indian recipe to replicate the dish.
Your dish with sausage & crunchy croutons sounds yummy. I’m picking up a red cabbage, Italian sausage & a sour dough bread tomorrow for a Saturday supper ala Beekman 1802!
P.s. love all your postings-it’s like being there with you.
Cathybytheriver
This looks like a great meal. I love saving our garden bounty as well to cheer us through the winter. I blanch romas and then freeze them. We have had many chilis this season from those romas I also dehydrate cherry tomatoes and freeze them. Then I take them out in small quantities , toss them with fresh herbs and olive oil, and serve over chicken or salad. I also freeze white eggplant puree…pure heaven when added to a marinara sauce. Have you ever canned? I haven’t gotten that brave yet.
P.S. we get all of our seeds from Baker Creek
My dragon dungeon (aka the basement, the dragon is the the furnace) is still over flowing with summer bounty, the red cabbage is beautiful! Fried with some home made, home layed egg noodles would warm my winter blah tummy! My cabbage is long gone, Kale also, thanks to the deer! Will think about 4 rows each vegetable this season, one for me, one to give away and two for the critters!
This recipe sounds wonderful! Love the colors. Any vibrant color perks me up during the dead of winter…I found some beautiful ripe strawberries at the market yesterday, and on sale! I cut them up and put a little bit of sugar and Cointreau on them and let them sit overnight. I am making some scones today and they shall be topped with the strawberries today!