Sliders and slaw, and cheesy, nutty wedges: Simon Rogan’s spring cabbage recipes

6 hours ago 17

Cabbage is one of my favourite ingredients. I love it for its versatility, and also because it’s nutritious and incredibly satisfying to cook with. I’ve been putting cabbage on my menus for more than two decades now, and at Our Farm in Cartmel, Cumbria, we grow hundreds of varieties to use across my restaurants’ kitchens throughout the year. For me, cabbage has always been one of the real heroes in the kitchen, and today’s recipes are about creating generous, seasonal dishes to share with it at their centre.

Caramelised cabbage with Blacksticks Blue, bacon, toasted nuts and seeds (pictured top)

Prep 15 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 4

50g salt
2 garlic cloves, skin on and bashed
1 bay leaf
1 duncan cabbage, or other small pointed cabbage
150g Blacksticks Blue cheese
50g panko breadcrumbs
150g softened butter
15g pumpkin seeds
15g sunflower seeds
15g linseeds
15g pine nuts
12 slices smoked streaky bacon
50g XO sauce (or gochujang, at a push)
2 tbsp sunflower oil
Watercress, to finish

Put the salt, smashed garlic and bay in a large pan of boiling water, to make an infused brine. Cut the cabbage lengthways into quarters, take the pot off the heat and submerge the cabbage in the hot brine until the brine has cooled down and the cabbage is tender. Lift out and leave to cool.

Cut off and discard the rind from the Blacksticks Blue, then cut the cheese into 1cm cubes. Add the cheese and panko to the softened butter and beat with a spatula until very well combined and homogenous.

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Arrange all the seeds in a single layer on an oven tray, roast for about five minutes, until golden brown, then remove. Turn down the oven to 160C (140C fan)/325F/gas 3.

In a hot, dry, nonstick pan, sear the streaky bacon until it’s good and crisp. Deglaze the pan with the XO sauce, keep cooking until the bacon absorbs all of the sauce, then take off the heat.

In a second nonstick pan, heat the sunflower oil, then sear the cabbage on both cut sides for about four minutes, until golden. Arrange the cabbage quarters on an oven tray and spread all over with the Blacksticks Blue butter, making sure you get it in between the layers of the cabbage. Bake the cabbage for 15 minutes, then lift the wedges on to a serving dish.

Break the crisp bacon into roughly 4cm shards, then scatter these over the cabbage, making sure some gets in between the layers of leaves. Sprinkle the nuts and seeds over the top, finish with some watercress and serve.

Old Winchester sliders with pickles and Aynsome slaw

Simon Rogan’s Old Winchester sliders with Cartmel slaw

The ingredients list for the slaw and dressing may look a bit daunting, but every element contributes to taking it to the next level.

Prep 25 min
Pickle Overnight
Cook 40 min
Serves 4

For the pickled cucumbers
1 shallot, peeled
60g apple cider vinegar
30g sugar
1½ tbsp fennel seeds
1 cucumber

For the Old Winchester patties
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
75g mushrooms, coarsely chopped
5 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Sunflower oil
50g Old Winchester cheese, coarsely grated
75g tinned borlotti beans (drained weight), or pinto beans, rinsed
50g fresh breadcrumbs
Salt and black pepper
½ tbsp soy sauce, or to taste
½ tsp English mustard (not powder)
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp cornflour

For the sliders
4 brioche buns
Sliced gem lettuce
Sliced tomato
Finely sliced onion

For the slaw
125g hispi cabbage, finely shredded
125g red cabbage (I use red kalibos), finely shredded
90g red onion, peeled and finely sliced
½ broccoli floret, trimmed and grated on the large holes of a box grater
20g fresh parsley, roughly chopped
10g fresh dill, roughly chopped
75g white sugar
50g flaky sea salt

For the dressing
1 scotch bonnet chilli, or 1 lemon drop chilli, if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on one
70g mayonnaise
30g apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp English mustard
½ tbsp ground black pepper
20g runny honey, warmed gently to loosen
½ tbsp fennel seeds, crushed

Pickle the cucumbers a day ahead. Cut the shallot into 1cm dice, then put it in a medium pan with the cider vinegar, sugar, fennel seeds and 90ml water, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the cucumber into 1cm-thick slices. Take the pan off the heat, drop in the sliced cucumber, cover and keep at room temperature overnight.

For the slaw, mix the cabbages, onion, broccoli, parsley and dill in a large bowl, sprinkle over the sugar and salt, and toss to combine. Leave to steep for five minutes, then tip into a large colander and rinse well under cold running water. Transfer to a salad spinner to dry, then return it to the bowl.

For the dressing, cut the chilli in half lengthways, remove and discard the pith and seeds, and finely chop the flesh. Put the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, black pepper and warm honey in a medium bowl, whisk until homogenous, then stir in the crushed fennel seeds and chopped chilli. Add the dressing to the slaw to taste, check for seasoning and toss.

Now for the patties. Fry the onions, mushrooms and thyme in a tablespoon of sunflower oil for five or so minutes, until soft, then take off the heat and leave to cool. Tip the mix into a food processor, add the cheese, beans, breadcrumbs and freshly ground pepper to taste, and pulse until well combined. Mix in the soy, mustard, egg and cornflour, add salt, again to taste, then shape into four 7cm-wide x 3cm-deep patties and chill until cold.

When you’re ready to eat, fry the patties in a little sunflower oil in a hot nonstick pan for about four minutes on each side, until nicely caramelised, then season with a little more salt to taste.

Cut the brioche buns in half, layer them up with the lettuce, tomato, onion and pickled cucumber to your liking, top with a patty and the bun lid, and serve with the slaw alongside.