This simple recipe will make Napa cabbage one of your new favorite vegetables.
Combining searing with steaming produces a beautiful, tasty side dish in just minutes. When you're shopping for the cabbage, make sure you get a big one that feels like the leaves are tightly packed. It should seem heavy for its size.
Easy Napa Cabbage Rose Recipe (serves 2)
Ingredients:
- 1 slice of fresh Napa cabbage (cut 2 inches thick)
- 1/2 TBSP. salted butter
- 2 TBSP. warm water
- 1 tsp. granulated sugar
- 1 TBSP. soy sauce or tamari
- Garlic powder, black pepper to taste
Method:
- Set the cabbage on its side and slice off the very top (the rounded part) about 2 inches down. Save that piece for stir-frying or adding to the soup. For the recipe, you'll need a big cross-section, cut about 2 inches thick.
- In a skillet over high heat, melt the butter and sear the Napa cabbage for 3 minutes. Combine the water, sugar, and soy sauce in a small bowl and season generously with the garlic powder and black pepper.
- Carefully flip the cabbage and lower the heat to medium-high. Drizzle on the sauce and cover the pan, letting the cabbage steam for 5 minutes.
- Carefully slide the steamed cabbage onto a plate and pour the sauce over it. Tease the lettuce leaves open into the shape of a rose and serve warm.
Variations:
- You can garnish the cabbage with sesame seeds, more freshly ground black pepper, or dried red chili flakes. Just don't hide the rose pattern of the dish.
- Liven up the sauce with some miso paste or a touch of Chinese cooking wine. As written, this recipe produces a mildly flavored sweet and savory side dish that can go in many different directions.
- If you have a hard time flipping the cabbage intact, consider tying it up with butcher's twine first.
- When you're feeding a crowd, you'll need more than just one slice. You could also stir-fry some spinach or watercress and surround the cabbage rose with darker greens.
Before you know it, this simple Napa cabbage recipe will be part of your regular meal rotation. Give it a try!
