Satisfying Sautéed Cabbage

  

When you're emerging from forgiving winter layers with a wary eye on shoulder-baring spring, there's only one dish that could break the monotony of brothy soups and limp salads in any satisfying way. 

Unlike any insipid 'detoxing' dish, a bowl of this magical pairing of cabbage and garlic is incredibly satisfying and goes with pretty much every protein and starch. My mom would cook this for me and add a drizzle of sesame oil, but decadence is not what this dish is all about.  -K

 

Satisfying Sautéed Cabbage

Cooking Time

20 minutes (10 active)

Serves

4 people as a side with steamed fish or something

Tools

Large non-stick pan or wok

Chef's knife

Cutting board

Wooden spoon

Ingredients

1 small to medium head of green cabbage

3-5 cloves of garlic (depending on where you rank on the garlic fiend to vampire scale), minced

1 tablespoon canola oil

Red pepper flake

4-5 large pinches of kosher salt or sea salt

Steps

1. Peel and throw away outer leaves of cabbage. Rinse the remaining head and wonder if there is a point to washing the inside. Decide there isn't.

2. Cut cabbage into fourths as shown. Chop into bite-sized pieces, about 1-2 inches wide.

3. Heat canola oil in your largest non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Test to see if the oil is sizzling with a piece of cabbage. Dump cabbage into the pan and add salt to release the cabbage's water content.


4.  After a few minutes, check to see if the cabbage at the bottom is starting to brown. Stir with the slotted spoon so the cabbage on top gets more heat. If you're impatient and the cabbage doesn't seem to be wilting fast enough, add a few tablespoons of water or cover your pan.


5. Add minced garlic and a few dashes of red pepper flakes. Keep stirring every once in a while until cabbage is soft enough to eat, but not total mush. Separate most of the layers in the cabbage chunks, but keep some intact for different textures.