There’s a cabbage variety for every purpose, from coleslaw to golumpki, kimchee to sauerkraut. For sheer beauty of form and delicacy of flavor, however, savoy is in a class by itself. Crinkled leaves of dark green fading to pale green, yellow or pink at the head make this cabbage easy to spot at the market: Savoy is the one that resembles a giant green rosebud on the verge of bursting into bloom.
While savoy’s deeply textured outer leaves are softer and milder in flavor than regular head cabbage, the buttery head is especially delicate and tasty. Torn into pieces like soft lettuce, the inner leaves are tender enough to complement a salad of mixed greens. Shredded or finely chopped, savoy makes excellent cole-slaw. It can be cooked any way you would prepare head cabbage: sauteed, steamed or baked for a vegetable side dish; simmered in soup, or stuffed and then braised or steamed.
Sauteed savoy cabbage with fruit
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 9 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
This simple dish is at its best when the cabbage is cooked just until it is barely tender but still crisp enough to offer a little resistance to the tooth.
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium savoy cabbage, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 green apple or winter pear, cored, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage; cook, stirring often, 4 minutes. Stir in apple, honey and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender-crisp, 5 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
147 calories, 32% of calories from fat, 6 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 24 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 673 mg sodium, 6 g fiber
Lemon-roasted chicken over savoy cabbage
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
In this homey Italian dish, a chicken stuffed with lemon is first roasted in the oven and then braised to tenderness on a bed of savoy cabbage. This specialty comes from the Marches, a coastal region in northeastern Italy. Plan on using at least 3 lemons to have enough juice and zest.
1 roasting chicken, about 4 pounds
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 lemon
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1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 pounds savoy cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken inside and out with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste. Grate zest from lemon; then halve lemon. Place zest and lemon halves in chicken cavity. Melt 1/4 cup of the butter in a small saucepan; add 1/4 cup of the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Brush mixture all over chicken. Put chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan; cook 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter and remaining 3 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; cook until butter melts, about 1 minute. Add remaining lemon zest; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add cabbage; toss to coat with the butter mixture. Increase heat to high; add remaining 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, wine, vinegar, sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Cook until mixture bubbles and sizzles; decrease heat to low. Cover; cook until cabbage softens and flavors come together, about 20 minutes.
3. Place chicken over cabbage. Cover; cook over medium-low heat until chicken is tender and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 160 degrees, about 25 more minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes.
4. To serve, carve chicken; arrange pieces in the center of a large warmed platter. Surround with cabbage; pour pan juices over chicken.
Nutrition information per serving:
830 calories, 64% of calories from fat, 59 g fat, 20 g saturated fat, 216 mg cholesterol, 15 g carbohydrates, 60 g protein, 806 mg sodium, 6 g fiber