Blackened Cabbage

I could probably start every post with "I love---------" because I do enjoy so many different types of food. Fresh vegetables have always been tops with me. I think the only vegetable I don't particularly care for is eggplant. On a rare occassion, only if I'm dining in a fine Italian Restaurant, I might order eggplant. To me, Italians are the best cooks in the world. To get me to order and eat eggplant, you got to know your stuff.

I use to "Bile Dem Cabbage Down". That's boiled cabbage, if you're not from the south. As a child, we always ate our cabbage boiled. In later years I started steaming the cabbage and by experimenting a little over the years I've come up with my favorite cabbage creation, blackened cabbage.

When cabbage is cooked to long it becomes soggy and limp. I think cooked cabbage should be crisp and tender. It is so much easier to reach this point of perfection when the cabbage is blackened in a cast iron skillet. I can see right here the need for a post on the different types of cooking vessels. All I'm gonna say right now is every type of cooking vehicle (pots, pans, dishes, bowls, glass, metal, aluminum, cast iron) cooks differently.

For the BLACKENED CABBAGE you'll need:

1- Medium to Large head of cabbage
1/3 cup olive oil
Water- to be added several times during cooking
1- Large 14" cast iron skillet (preferably one that has been seasoned over years)

Cut the head of cabbage in half starting  at the stalk and following thru to the top. Take the smaller of the two pieces, lay it flat and cut it three or four times making the cuts about 1.5 inches apart. Cut the remainder of the cabbage the same way. Throw the stalk away. You should wind up with all the cabbage, flat side down, in the skillet. Pour the olive oil over the cabbage so that every piece gets a few drops. Turn the burner on high. When the cabbage starts cooking, pour a little water, 1/3 cup, over it. Stay with it! Cover it. Let it steam a little. Don't stir it, just kind of lift it up gently so it doesn't break apart. Add salt and pepper. When the water evaporates let the cabbage blacken a little then add more water, 1/4 - 1/3 cup, cover for a few minutes. Never add so much water that it doesn't evaporate in a few minutes. Stay with this process for 15-20 minutes and you'll end up with blackened cabbage.

Blackened cabbage must be cooked on high in order to attain the blackening. You must remain with the dish, adding water, lifting and gently stirring the cabbage until it is done which will be about 15-20 minutes. Once it is done, you can cover it and leave the burner on warm.