Cabbage is a common vegetable in all types of cuisines worldwide and is served fresh, boiled, baked, and even pickled.
Cabbage is easy to prepare and suitable for combining in a vegetarian dish, meat, and many low-carb diets, including paleo and keto.
Cooking in sous vide makes it possible to preserve the nutritional ingredients optimally and allows for a longer shelf life, which helps build an organized weekly nutrition menu.
After sous vide cooking, the result is surprisingly soft, but also in combination with an al dente bite to the cabbage leaves, which makes it rich in juiciness - and yes, I'm talking about cabbage.
Ingredients
Whole cabbage
Olive oil or butter
Kosher salt
Pepper
Preparation
All we need is a few essential ingredients, and they are olive oil, salt, pepper, and cabbage, of course.
The cabbage is always cut through the root so that the pieces remain intact on the root itself.
Slice the cabbage into halves, quarters, and eighths, always from the center of the root.
Season with olive oil, salt, and pepper on all sides of the cabbage.
Take vacuum bags and turn the edges over, so that the edges will remain dry during the vacuum operation and there will be optimal sealing.
Transfer the pieces of cabbage to vacuum bags, either one piece per bag or several, which will be suitable for future meals.
Put the bags in water preheated to 85°C and cook for 3 hours.
Cabbage tends to float because of the trapped air, so you should use weights or anything to keep the bags underwater.
When cooking at such a high temperature, it's recommended to use a cap that prevents the water from evaporating, which may cause the sous vide runner to stop working.
After three hours of cooking, transfer the vacuum bags to an ice bath for about 20-30 minutes, stopping the cooking process and reducing the time the bag stays in a dangerous temperature range.
If you plan to serve the cabbage close to the cooking process, there is no need for an ice bath.
Searing
Remove the cabbage from the vacuum bag and pat it dry with paper towels.
If you keep kosher and want to make a meat dish, I recommend using tallow or the fat left over from searing a steak. Other oils are also suitable, including olive oil.
If you are making a dairy dish, I recommend using butter.
Sear the cabbage in a pan over high heat and turn every minute until charred and not just browned.
Logistics and shelf life
Because the cabbage has passed the pasteurization and rapid cooling in an ice bath, the shelf life of a closed bag is longer than usual, and in this way, it can be stored in the refrigerator for even three weeks, and the bag can be opened on demand.
If you prepare individual bags, you can divide the portions of cabbage for daily consumption during the following weeks, mainly for nutritional purposes, such as paleo and keto diets.
Suggestion for meals served with cabbage
