Sous Vide - Cabbage
I do like me some sautéed cabbage. The best, of course, is to be had anywhere in the Czech Rebublic or in Slovakia, sautéed to translucency with onion, caraway seed, shredded apple, & a t’ch of bacon, alongside pheasant or partridge or diced with potatoes, onions & game meat in a bowl. Easy enough to just whip up in a skillet on the stovetop with no need for any fancy technology, but with my Sous Vide device sitting on the counter waiting to be ignored while it prepares dinner, I thought I’d give it a try.
I thought I’d make my first experiment with cabbage wedges; I usually do these braised & pan-seared.
I was leery of this approach; cabbage can develop a sulphury aroma & taste when boiled or braised too long, & I was concerned the long cooking time Sous Vide might have the same result. I was pleasantly surprised - the result was exceptionally tender & sweet, with not even a hint of skunkiness.
Cut 1 head of cabbage (I used a green cabbage; red would work fine as well) in half, through the root rib; remove the tough outer leaves and slice each half into 3 or 4 wedges, each cut through the root, so the wedges remain intact.
Place 1 wedge in a Sous Vide bag with 1 Tblsp olive oil or butter, 1/4 tsp salt (optional additions - a sprinkling of caraway seeds, some sliced or shredded apple, a sprinkling of rendered/crisped bacon pieces, &/or sautéed onion [onion should be sautéed first, so it can outgas in the pan rather than in the bag; I keep some caramelized onion in the freezer for ready use], 1/2 Tbsp apple cider or red wine vinegar); seal under vacuum or using the water displacement method.
Cook in water bath at 183ºF (83ºC), 3-4 hours, no tending necessary (the high heat is necessary to break down pectins in the cabbage); there will be some air trapped between the lamina of the wedge, so care needs to be taken to prevent the bag from floating; clips on a rack or magnets or a chainlink mesh weight can be handy. If using magnets, to avoid burning your hand in the hot water bath, a pair of Korean BBQ Grill Tongs is handy for manipulating the in-bath magnet.
Remove from bag; pat dry & pan sear in butter &/or olive oil, 2-3 minutes on each side; I like mine golden with spots of deep brown. Although the root core is left intact, it will be quite soft, so handle gently. A slotted fish spatula came in handy.
