This is such a simple dish that it seems odd referring to it as a recipe! But here’s the thing… we LOVE roasted cabbage and, when asking around, I realized I don’t know many people who prepare cabbage this way.
This is a lovely option as a side dish for hardy mains that require a vegetable that “holds its own”. For example, we like to eat this with reverse seared and butter-basted steaks, or spatchcocked chicken with almond pangrattato. It’s a nice option to pair with meat, because you can roast it quickly while the meat is resting. It also provides a really beautiful depth of colour and earthiness to your table.
The key to roasting cabbage is to set the oven to a very high heat. Something I learned from J Kenji López-Alt’s, Serious Eats. If the temperature isn’t hot enough, you’ll end up with burnt edges and a tough core. Set the oven to 500º F and, with a little bit of tending, the entire wedge of cabbage will be tender with deliciously crispy edges. Since you’re doing these on such high heat, you’ll want to keep an eye on them. Typically, I find they take anywhere between 6-10 minutes on each side, depending on the size. As they approach done, the outer layers can begin to blister and the edges will crisp, but you don’t want them to turn black. I like to douse them in a decent amount of oil, as it helps to keep them from burning and allows them to soften.
Roasted Cabbage Wedges with Thyme
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Purple Cabbage
- 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Bunch of Thyme
- Salt + Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500° F.
- Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, and give it a quick rinse. Cut the cabbage in half, lengthwise, so that you cut along the core. Lay each half on its flat side and slice into 4 wedges (more if you have a large cabbage), lengthwise, the same way you might cut a lemon.
- On a large sheet pan (layer it with tinfoil if you’re worried about sticking), arrange the wedges so they’re laying flat. Drizzle them with half of the olive oil and sprinkle each wedge with salt and pepper. Flip all the wedges and repeat on the other side.
- Place the pan in the oven and allow to roast for 8 minutes, or until they start to look fairly tender. Remove the pan from the oven and very carefully flip each wedge, as they will want to fall apart. I find it easiest to use a metal spatula and a set of tongs for this. Once flipped, scatter the thyme sprigs over each wedge, reserving some for garnish. Allow to roast for another 6-8 minutes depending on how large the wedges are. When finished, they should be softened with slightly burnt edges that have a brownish hue.
- Remove the pan from the oven, discard the thyme sprigs, and carefully transfer to a serving dish.
- Garnish with fresh thyme, and enjoy!
Leave a Reply