Serves: 4-6
This is a simple but also a very impressive and delicious dish that has place both on a weekday and a dinner party table.
Ingredients
- 1 sweetheart cabbage
- 3 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
For the cream
250g nuts (I used almonds here)
70ml water
1tbsp good vinegar or lemon
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
For the salt
- 2tbsp Maldon salt
- 1/2tbsp caraway seeds
- 1/2tbsp coriander seeds
- 1/4tsp sumac
Directions
1Soak the nuts in plenty of water, for at least 5 hours, or better overnight in the fridge.
2Preheat the oven to 220C. Cut the cabbage in half through the core. Then, depending on your cabbage’s size, cut it into wedges – the thinner the wedges the quicker they will cook.
3Put the wedges on a baking tray (line it to make cleaning easier). Drizzle the oil over the cabbage and massage it on and between the leaves. Put it in the oven and check after about 15 minutes. You may need to turn the wedges over and give them another 10-20 minutes or until the cabbages look lovely and charred.
4Meanwhile, drain the nuts and save the nut water if there is any. Put the nuts and 70ml of (nut or regular) cold water into a blender and blitz into a smooth cream. Finely grate the garlic and add that in too along with the vinegar and a generous pinch of Maldon. Blitz again, then taste. It should be gently seasoned – remember there is spiced salt that is going on top when served. The texture should be that of a thick yogurt.
5For the salt – toast the caraway and coriander seeds in a pan until fragrant and bash them in a pestle and mortar along with the Maldon salt. The salt will help everything grind down easily. Stir through they sumac.
6To serve pour the nut sauce on the bottom of a serving plate or small platter and put the cabbage on top (which by the way is good either hot or warm/room temp). Sprinkle over the spiced salt and serve alongside other dishes or a simple green salad or watercress.
