Recipes for cabbage gratin, crispy chicken thighs with cabbage, roasted cabbage steaks and the best coleslaw ever - No. 50  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

	Welcome to the free issue of Between the Layers: A conversation about life through the lens of cooking and baking. For more great content and recipes, consider becoming a paid subscriber! Dear Cabbage, I Love You Recipes for cabbage gratin, crispy chicken thighs with cabbage, roasted cabbage steaks and the best coleslaw ever - No. 50 Anne Byrn Mar 29 Share Today, to honor Ukrainians, we cook cabbage, which according to Olia Hercules, Ukrainian-born British food writer, is one of Ukraine’s top-five comfort foods. (The others are fresh dill, full-fat sour cream or yogurt or creme fraîche, and beets and potatoes.) Thank you to Between the Layers reader Karen Stuhlfeier for mentioning cabbage in the comments a few weeks ago and reminding me how much I love it, and I welcome my daughter Kathleen to tell us about her cabbage crush. Green cabbage slices ready for cooking. Photos: Kathleen Osteen. I Have a Crush on Cabbage By Kathleen Catherall Osteen If you had told me a few years ago that cabbage would be one of the most-used ingredients in my kitchen, I would have thought you were lying. I most definitely wouldn’t have imagined I’d be writing an “Ode to Cabbage” for this newsletter. But this unassuming, versatile vegetable has edged its way into my heart, and it’s here to stay. At the beginning of 2020 – two months before the world shut down - we signed up for a local farm box delivery we still use to this day. Each week, a box was delivered to my doorstep packed with veggies sourced from farms around Northeast Florida. My daughter was just three months old at the time and I was transitioning back to work, eager for a convenient way to receive nutrient-dense vegetables while keeping my dollars local. Most weeks I’d remember to log in and customize my produce selections to familiar items, but some weeks I didn’t. And thus began my appreciation of sometimes neglected veggies. My Google search history started reading something like “what to do with daikon,” “kohlrabi recipes” and “cabbage preparations.” I was excited but a bit hesitant to experiment with these unfamiliar-to-me vegetables. I had two distinct epiphanies that got me to this level of cabbage fan-girl, the first being the marriage of cabbage and chicken fat. Kathleen’s Chicken Thighs Over Cabbage. Epiphany #1: Cabbage + chicken fat Fast forward a few months into the pandemic. I came across a gal on Instagram who owned and operated a small regenerative farm outside of Jacksonville called Five Cedars Farm. Her page was full of the most aesthetically pleasing eggs, beautiful leafy kale, baby farm animals and babies of her own. We started stocking our freezer with her whole pasture-raised chickens – roasting two or three a month – on a bed of whatever veggies were on-hand from our produce delivery box. One night I threw some cabbage under a spatchcocked chicken, popped it in the oven, and let me tell you… I stood hunched over that sheet pan eating every last piece of that hot, juicy, caramelized cabbage with my bare hands. That was the moment I knew I was falling for cabbage. As of late, we’ve opted for quick-cooking chicken thighs more often than the whole bird, but the beautiful harmony remains the same. See my recipe for Cast Iron Crispy Chicken Thighs at the bottom of this newsletter, and forks are optional! The Best Cabbage Gratin. Epiphany #2: Cabbage has main-character energy Epiphany number two on my cabbage-journey happened this time last year. I was scrolling through cabbage recipes online, looking for anything specific that caught my eye. Andy Baraghani’s Cheesy Cabbage Gratin from Bon Appetit did just that. (Recipe follows at the end of this newsletter.) First off, Andy never leads me astray, so I followed his recipe as-written with confidence. It’s incredible—shallots, garlic and thyme simmered in cream before everything is blended into a flavorful sauce to coat your roasted cabbage. You bake until the cream thickens, smother in cheese, and broil until bubbly. Make this gratin for Easter lunch, if not immediately. This recipe made me realize that cabbage doesn’t have to be a supporting act. Though it is great to keep on hand as a cost-effective, delicious filler in stir-fries, fried rice, soups, curries and stews, it can absolutely stand on its own. Even on the busiest nights and with limited ingredients on hand, “cabbage steaks” are a delicious, low-fuss meal. Place cabbage wedges on a sheet pan, brush with avocado oil - or duck fat if you are extra AF (guilty!) - season generously and roast at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes. Serve your “steaks” with something fatty like Greek yogurt, crunchy toasted breadcrumbs, a fresh squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of herbs. Roast cabbage wedges at 425 brushed with avocado oil or duck fat. Whether or not this love letter to cabbage convinced you to adore them the way I do, I hope you think about it next time you’re at the farmers market. Grab something you wouldn’t normally cook with—it might just become your new favorite. How do you cabbage? Leave a comment Follow Kathleen for weeknight dinner inspo, pastries on-a-whim, and toddler shenanigans. From the cabbage archives: How to make the best slaw… My husband makes slaw all year long and thinks it goes with everything. Chicken on the grill, fish tacos, and piled on brats. Kathleen may be a cabbage gratin and chicken fat cabbage fan-girl, but John’s relationship with slaw is beyond that. It’s for better or worse, richer or poorer… And not bagged slaw. Freshly grated. If you missed that tribute to slaw last fall, check it out now with all the fresh cabbage in the market: John’s Homemade Coleslaw. John’s Homemade Coleslaw Anne Byrn: Between the Layers is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe now THE RECIPES… Print the recipe Kathleen’s Crispy Chicken Thighs Over Cabbage You can make as much or as little as you like. This is the ratio of chicken thighs to cabbage we use on any given night. Makes 4 servings 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, out of the fridge for an hour, generously salted and patted dry to remove any moisture Half a large head of cabbage, sliced into 1-inch wedges Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Cast-iron skillet How to make it: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the chicken skin-side down in an unheated cast iron skillet, then place over medium heat. (This cold-pan method is how they get nice and crispy.) Now, I can’t stress this enough, leave them be! The skin will release when it is ready. When the skin releases easily from the pan and is golden brown, about 10-15 minutes, move the thighs around a bit to ensure even browning, another few minutes. Use tongs to transfer thighs to a plate, skin-side up. Do not wipe out the skillet. Add the cabbage wedges and turn them to coat in the chicken drippings. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cook for a few minutes. Return chicken to the skillet, skin side up, on top of the cabbage wedges and transfer to the oven. Roast 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet, keeping them skin-side up. Place the skillet with cabbage and drippings back in the oven until the cabbage has softened and browned, another 5-10 minutes. Serve with the chicken, and top with an acidic, herby sauce like chimichurri. Print the recipe The Best Cabbage Gratin a la Andy Baraghani Recipe from Bon Appetit. The trick is to roast the cabbage long enough to draw out the moisture so the sauce doesn’t get watery. Entertaining? Bake it ahead without the cheese. Cool, wrap, and chill. Pull from the fridge before serving, sprinkle with the cheeses and broil until golden and heated through. Be on the lookout for Andy’s first cookbook, “The Cook You Want to Be” debuting soon. I can’t wait to get my hands on it! Makes 8 servings 1 medium head green cabbage (about 3½ pounds), cut through core into 8 wedges 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning 2 medium shallots, quartered through root end 4 garlic cloves 2 cups heavy cream 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère, about 3 ounces 1/2 cup grated Parmesan How to make it: Place oven racks in the upper third and middle of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Place the cabbage slices on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil; season lightly with the salt and pepper. Roast until tender and edges are golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, place the shallots, garlic, cream, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots and garlic are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool. Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Rub the inside of a 12-inch oven-proof skillet or 3-quart shallow baking dish with the butter. Arrange the cabbage in the pan so the wedges are lying on a cut side; pour the cream mixture over. Bake on the middle rack, uncovered, until the cream thickens, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 30 minutes. Heat the broiler. Sprinkle the Gruyère and Parmesan evenly over the cabbage. Broil until cheese is bubbling and the gratin is browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Top with more thyme leaves if desired. Help Feed the People of Ukraine You have been amazing this month as we’ve focused our energies and monies on the people of Ukraine. You have a few more days to become a paid subscriber to Between the Layers and let your March subscription monies go to the World Central Kitchen. I am so impressed with the work of Chef Jose Andres and his legions of volunteer chefs. Even as my tribute to Ukraine ends, please continue to donate monies to WCK, UNICEF to help the displaced children, or to your favorite charity. Subscribe now Olia’s Armenian Roasted Cabbage, coming Thursday. Coming Thursday for Paid Subscribers: Olia Hercules’ method for sheet pan roasted cabbage and bright and bold veggies. It’s a fabulous meatless meal and makes yummy leftovers. And the cookbook drawing! Who will receive the copy of Mamushka, by Olia Hercules? Have a great week! Anne Like Comment Share You’re on the free list for Anne Byrn: Between the Layers. 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