Spicy Oven-Charred Cabbage And Lemons
2
- Makes4 to 6 servings
Photography by Suech and Beck. Excerpted from A Generous Meal by Christine Flynn. Copyright © 2023 Christine Flynn. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
To my knowledge, this is an original recipe born out of a “what shall we eat for dinner tonight?” situation. I didn’t have many ingredients in the fridge and, as I recall, they all ended up in the recipe. Don’t be misled by this dish’s origin story. It is so good. The lemon gets a bit charred and chewy, the cabbage is nutty and coated in spicy, garnet-coloured harissa, and the herbs and crispy pita add the perfect amount of aromatic crunch to cut through the heat. —Christine Flynn
Pita Chips
1 pita, torn into bite-size pieces
1 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
Pinch of salt
Pinch of Aleppo pepper
Cabbage
1/2 medium green cabbage, cored
1/2 cup neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed, divided
4 cloves Garlic Confit, see Kitchen tip
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded
1 red bird's eye chili, halved
1/2 tsp salt
4 oz feta cheese, (Macedonian, if you can get it)
1/4 cup harissa paste
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
Instructions
Pita Chips: Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, toss the pita with the oil, salt and Aleppo pepper. Spread the pita in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 6 min, until crispy and brown. Set aside. Increase the oven to 500F.
Cabbage: With the flat side of the cabbage down, cut it into quarters. Cut each quarter in half on a slight angle so that you end up with 8 pieces. Drizzle 2 tbsp of oil into a large cast iron skillet. Nestle in the cabbage, followed by the Garlic Confit, lemon and chili. Drizzle remaining oil over top. Season with salt.
Roast the cabbage for 20 to 30 min, giving it a gentle stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick. When it’s crispy and brown, remove it from the oven and crumble the feta overtop. Return cabbage to the oven for another 3 to 5 min until feta gets a bit melty. Remove from oven and dollop harissa on top.
Sprinkle the pita chips on the hot cabbage. Top with the parsley, mint and lemon juice. Serve immediately.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Kitchen tip
Make Garlic Confit by simmering 1⁄2 lb peeled garlic cloves and 2 to 3 bird’s eye red chilies in 1 1⁄2 cups olive oil on low heat for 30 min, until tender. Transfer cloves to a jar with a tight lid. Pour oil overtop; refrigerate immediately. Confit will keep in fridge for up to 3 weeks.
This recipe is excerpted from A Generous Meal by Christine Flynn.
This recipe is part of a collection of spring-ready entertaining recipes by Christine Flynn.