Recipes From the Root Cellar_ 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables - Andrea Chesman [62]
Stir-Fried Cabbage in Brown Sauce
Serves 4–6
Chinese restaurants often offer “broccoli in brown sauce.” This is a variation on the theme, made with cabbage instead.
½ cup dried shiitake mushrooms
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons peanut, sunflower, or canola oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 head Chinese cabbage, trimmed and sliced
1 Soak the mushrooms in room-temperature water to cover for at least 4 hours. Drain, reserving the soaking water, and slice.
2 To make the sauce, combine 6 tablespoons of the mushroom soaking water with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, sugar, and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside.
3 Heat the peanut oil in a large wok over high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cabbage and mushrooms and stir-fry until the cabbage is barely tender, about 3 minutes.
4 Mix the sauce to thoroughly distribute the cornstarch, then add it to the wok. Toss lightly until the sauce is heated through and thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Kitchen Note: If you don’t have the time for a cold-water soak for the mushrooms (it results in the best texture), use boiling water instead of room-temperature water, and soak them for 10 minutes.
Variation: Vegetarian Stir-Fried Cabbage in Brown Sauce
For a strictly vegetarian dish, substitute vegetarian oyster sauce, mock oyster sauce, or stir-fry sauce for the oyster sauce; these are vegetarian versions of the original.
East-Meets-West Braised Red Cabbage
Serves 6
The combination of bacon and maple syrup from the West and soy sauce and five-spice powder from the East is magical. Slow cooking the cabbage renders it soft and silky. When the main course is rather bland — anything from mac ’n’ cheese to baked chicken or pork — this makes the perfect complement.
4 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut lengthwise into ½-inch-wide strips
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (½-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 medium head red cabbage (1½–1¾ pounds), quartered and thinly sliced
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 Fry the bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until it renders its fat and begins to become crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels to drain. Pour off all but
2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. 2 Add the onion to the fat remaining in the pan and sauté until limp, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and sauté just until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the cabbage, a few handfuls at a time. When all the cabbage is in the skillet, sauté, stirring frequently, until the strands begin to wilt and have a moist gleam, about 6 minutes.
3 Add the vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, five-spice powder, and reserved bacon to the pan. Mix well and bring to a boil.
4 Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook at a gentle simmer, stirring every 20 minutes, until the cabbage is tender and deeply fragrant, 40 to 60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Baked Carrots and Fennel in Béchamel
Serves 4
Tarragon is an herb that is classically matched with carrots for good reason. Its slight anise flavor complements the sweetness of the carrots. For fewer dishes to wash, use a baking dish that can be brought directly to the table to serve.
4 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
¼ cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon dried tarragon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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