Roasting cabbage is a great way to sweeten and deepen the flavor of this humble vegetable. Cutting it into wedges is easiest, but don’t worry if they don’t all hold together when arranging on the sheet pan; they’ll still be tasty!
In this recipe, I reduce apple cider, toss in some butter, and brush that mixture over the cabbage wedges before they roast. Then I add a little vinegar to what remains of those liquids and brush it on when the cabbage is done cooking.
But you could top roasted cabbage wedges (simply brushed in oil before cooking) with Parmigiano or Gruyere, any kind of bacon or crispy pork product, balsamic glaze, spicy chili paste, soy-ginger sauce — whatever salty or tangy ingredient you think will make a nice contrast.
Serves 4
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more (slightly softened), for the pan
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 whole head green cabbage (about 2 ¼ pounds; a little more or less is fine, too), cut in half and then into wedges through the stem (about 10 to 12 wedges total)
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar or other vinegar
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cover a large heavy-duty rimmed sheet pan with foil; lay a piece of parchment over the foil. Rub the top side of the parchment all over with butter.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider to a boil and boil it until it has reduced in volume to 1/3 cup, about 6 to 7 minutes. (If you want to check during cooking, you can always pour the liquid into a glass measure and then pour it back into pot.) It should be a bit more viscous. Take it off the heat and whisk in the 2 tablespoons butter.
3. Arrange the cabbage wedges tightly on the baking sheet, seasoning both sides with salt as you go.
4. Reserving 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cider butter, brush the top sides of the cabbage wedges with the balance of the cider butter.
5. Roast until tender and nicely browned around the edges, rotating the pan from back to front once, about 40 to 45 minutes.
6. Add the vinegar to the remaining cider butter, stir, and brush over the cooked cabbage wedges. Sprinkle on a bit more salt. Serve right away.
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