It’s been something of a personal challenge this winter to come up with recipes for those few things we have left in storage while we wait the long wait for spring, so if green cabbage and shallots are what we have, that’s what we’ll have to work with! This dish goes especially well alongside a roast chicken or skip the balsamic and put a generous dollop of coarse mustard between it dish and a hearty bratwurst or kielbasa. Enjoy!
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
bacon (or pancetta), 8 strips
shallots, 3 large
green cabbage, 1 medium or ½ large (about 1½ lbs)
1T butter or cooking oil
1 C stock (vegetable or chicken)
Salt and pepper, to taste
 
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place bacon on a large tray in the preheated oven until well-crisped. Reserve to a plate lined with a paper towel, leave to cool. Add enough rendered fat from the tray to thinly coat the bottom of a large skillet and turn heat to medium.
While bacon cooks, peel and slice shallots thinly into long strips. Add shallots to the hot skillet and cook over medium-low heat until fully cooked and well caramelized. You may wish to add a dash of stock to deglaze the pan once or twice while cooking. Reserve shallots with bacon/pancetta.
Either in advance, or while shallots cook, cut out the core of the cabbage and shred or slice thinly. Add 1T butter or cooking oil to skillet, turn heat to medium-high and add cabbage to the skillet. Pour any remaining stock over the cabbage and cover until cabbage softens.
While cabbage cooks, cut cooked bacon/pancetta in half lengthwise, and then crosswise into small batons, about ½^”wide.
When cabbage is softened, remove lid and continue cooking, stirring frequently until liquid is mostly evaporated but the pan is still wet.
Add back the shallots and bacon/pancetta and continue cooking until the pan is dry and the edges of the cabbage crisp and caramelize.
Drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar or with a generous dollop of coarse mustard to serve.