The French have a way with
words. So how do you make spinning
your wheels sound charming? You
say you are pedaling in sauerkraut. The French say: pédaler dans la choucroute.
Last year I was shipping off
to Paris around this time. This
year it’s not so much Paris as it is work, school, or—perhaps very soon—the
looney bin. Take your pick.
Safe to say, impossibly chic French
women need not apply here. I’m
knee deep in some pretty unglamorous funk at the moment. But what I’m realizing is that we’re
all up to *here* in it, so it’s best to just slap on some waders and trudge
around in the muck.
Thus, I decided to make use of
some cabbage. Because, well,
pedaling around in sauerkraut made me hungry.
Except I didn’t feel like waiting for cabbage to ferment
into sauerkraut. Best not to let
things fester, anyhow, when you have a short fuse. So the cabbage got sautéed with some butter and apple slices
and finished with apple cider vinegar and cognac.
(After all, a woman can’t live on pure brandy alone.)
It was just what I
needed. An uncomplicated fall dish, both tangy and sweet. Quite comforting. So you’ll likely
find me at the market stocking up on heads of cabbage and trudging through the
next few weeks. Cabbage is a lot
like life. Sometimes it
stinks. Just add some brown
sugar and brandy and make the best of it.
Sautéed Cabbage with Apples
~4 tbsp butter, divided
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt to season
1 apple, cut into thin strips
A pinch of grains of paradise, ground (alternatively, just use freshly ground black pepper)
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded or thinly sliced
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
Splash of cognac (or other brandy)
Heat a pan on medium heat and add about two tablespoons of butter. Add onion slices, a sprinkling of salt, and saute onions until they are nearly translucent; stir in apple slices and grains of paradise (or pepper). Cook until apples soften and then add the cabbage and vinegar; season with salt and cook until the cabbage softens. Add about 2 more tablespoons of butter, brown sugar, and brandy and cook a minute or two more.
Makes about 4 cups
Notes:
-The grains of paradise add a nice floral note, but don't let not having them derail you from making this dish. You can easily just substitute black pepper.
