The Recipe Box #5: Coconut Milk–Braised Cabbage

For when you need a bowl of comfort.

Hi!

I hope you’re having a great week.

There’s a little rain on the forecast in Brooklyn this week, which always immediately puts me in a braising mood. I can’t believe how boring that sentence makes me sound, but here we are! All I want to do is curl up on my couch with a big bowl of something that is very warm and fall-apart tender. For me this week, that bowl is filled with this coconut milk and green curry-braised cabbage. I made this dish for the first time a few weeks ago on a whim based on the fact that I was very hungry, in need of comfort food, and was running low on groceries. I was honestly shocked by how delicious it was, and how easily it came together. Braised cabbage is one of my favorite vegetarian mains, and this is the best version I’ve made yet. Eating a big wedge of cabbage with a fork and knife is a lot more exciting than it sounds! Trust me on this. The cabbage gets quartered and seared in a hot pan on all flat sides to give it a little texture and a lot of flavor. The sauce comes together quickly in the same pan, where green curry paste gets an extra boost of flavor from frying in oil with ginger, garlic, and cilantro stems. A can of coconut milk gets stirred in to make a silky, rich sauce that gets basted over the cabbage, and it all goes in the oven until the cabbage is incredibly tender and the sauce reduces and is packed with flavor. I love it over rice, finished with cilantro and a big squeeze of lime, but it’s also great on its own or as a side dish. I hope you love it, too.

Green Curry & Coconut Milk–Braised Cabbage

SERVES 2 AS A MAIN & 4 AS A SIDE

One quick note: Store-bought green curry pastes vary quite a bit between brands in terms of heat and salt (I really like Maesri, which I’ve found at quite a few grocery stores, but Thai Kitchen is another accessible, great option that works well here). Use whichever you can find, and taste and adjust the sauce before adding the cabbage back in so you can make any adjustments you need.

INGREDIENTS:
3 tbs olive, coconut, or canola oil
1 medium head savoy or green cabbage, quartered through the core
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro stems, finely chopped, plus leaves and tender stems for serving
1/4 cup green curry paste
1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
Lime wedges, for serving
Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. In an ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cabbage, cut-side down and season with salt. Cook the cabbage, without moving it, until well-browned, about 5 minutes. Repeat with the other flat side. Transfer the cabbage to a plate or cutting board.
3. Add the ginger, garlic, and cilantro stems to the skillet and cook until they just start to get tender and turn lightly golden around the edges, 2-3 minutes. Add curry paste and stir to evenly coat. Cook for another minute or two until everything is very fragrant. Add coconut milk and stir until well-combined. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and nestle the cabbage back in. Baste it with the sauce, allowing some to get in between the layers.
4. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook, basting the cabbage with sauce every 10 minutes, until it is very tender. This should take about 25-35 minutes, depending on the size of your cabbage.
5. Transfer cabbage to the serving vessel you of your choice, over rice or on its own. Ladle some sauce overtop, and finish with chopped cilantro and a big squeeze of lime. Enjoy!

Pairings

Nico is off playlist duty this week, so you’re stuck with me and many songs from Nancy Meyers movie soundtracks. Ideal songs for braising cabbage, and most other things.

Thank you for reading and cooking. As always, if you make something from the newsletter, tag me or message me! I love seeing what everyone’s making. And if you have any questions, recipe-related or not, respond to this email or drop it in the comments. Talk to you Friday for this week’s issue of Late Night Snacks.

Love,
Jane

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