Sautéed cabbage recipe

This sautéed cabbage recipe makes a lovely side dish, as I learned when my friends, Kate and Ben, served it with a roast a few months back. I asked them how to make it, and got a vague-ish sort of recipe out of them.

I've made this dish a few times now and love it for its simplicity and gorgeous flavour.

Cabbage is such a useful vegetable because it lasts well in the fridge and seems to expand in a loaves-and-fishes type manner. I don't always grow cabbage in my garden, but I've decided to plant it this year.

If you've got cabbages coming out your ears, give this recipe a whirl.

Ingredients

• 1/4 small cabbage
• Splash of water
• Knob of butter
• Pinch of cumin or fennel seeds
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Finely shred the cabbage using a sharp knife. You may wish to remove the tough core.
2. Heat the water and butter in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the cabbage.
3. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring every now and again to prevent burning. The cabbage should become softer as it cooks, not crisper. Add more water if it starts to burn before properly cooking and softening. (My photo below is not a good example. I didn't pay enough attention to the cabbage while cooking and let it crisp a little on the edges.)

DINNER: Rump steak, potato salad, raw carrots and sautéed cabbage.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Cook's notes
Apologies for how vague I've been with quantities. The amount of butter, water and seeds really depend on how much cabbage you throw in the pan - and that can change considerably depending on the type and size of cabbage used. I just go by feel, adding more water if necessary while cooking.

Also, I learned this the hard way - don't go overboard with the seeds. A little goes a long way.

If you're looking for other ways to use up cabbage, my husband's  raw sweet cabbage salad recipe is always a hit. He uses white sugar in his, but you could experiment with other raw sugars like rapadura, mascavado or sucanat.

I've also had success using cabbage in Stir-fries, Pad Thai and Satay Noodles.