Tender cabbage is coated with a spicy, salty, and umami Korean-inspired butter in this restaurant-level dish you can easily grill or roast in the oven at home.
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Cabbage might be the most underdog vegetable with the biggest reward when it gets a quick cook in the oven or over the grill, as with this recipe from Andrew Zimmerman, chef and partner at Chicago’s acclaimed Sepia restaurant. At a high heat, the outer edges get a bit of char while the center is tender and soft, making it the perfect vehicle for the dressing. In this case, Zimmerman makes an umami-packed ssamjang butter that boasts both a kick of spice and richness from the spicy-sweet ssamjang paste, salty fish sauce, and tangy vinegar. The added texture from the crisp shallots and crunchy nori elevate this simple wedge of cabbage into a deeply flavorful dish. Serve the charred cabbage as a side for fried chicken, Korean barbecued pork, or with rice for a veggie-forward meal.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Keeping the cabbage wedges together is important, so use a large stiff metal spatula to flip the cabbage instead of tongs, which may pull the leaves apart. We give instructions to cook this on a grill or in an oven; it will take a few minutes longer in the oven.
Ingredients
- 1 large head cabbage (preferably Savoy)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ssamjang or gochujang
- 1 1/2 teaspoons water
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons fried shallots
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped nori
- 1 teaspoon gochugaru
Directions
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Preheat your grill or oven to 500°F. (You will want whichever of those methods you choose to be very hot.)
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Remove loose outer leaves from cabbage, and trim stem to nearly flush with bottom of cabbage. Cut cabbage into 4 equal wedges, keeping core intact. Place cabbage, cut side down, in a cast-iron skillet large enough to hold cabbage in 1 layer. Drizzle vegetable oil over cabbage, and flip it around to evenly coat the cabbage with oil. Season cabbage with salt. Place skillet either on the grill or in the oven; cover (or close oven door) and cook at 500°F, undisturbed, for about 15 minutes. Flip cabbage wedges, and continue to cook until both sides are well charred, 7 to 10 minutes. (If using the oven, cook, undisturbed, until well charred and tender, about 35 minutes.) Check to see how the cabbage is doing; it should develop a nice dark sear on sides that are in contact with the pan, nearly black. Insert a small knife or metal skewer into cabbage to see if it is done cooking. You want to feel very little resistance. When it is ready, the cabbage should have a silky, yielding quality.
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As the cabbage cooks, heat butter, vinegar, ssamjang, water, and fish sauce in a small saucepan over medium-high until it just barely simmers, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat, and set aside.
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Once cabbage is cooked, transfer it to a cutting board. Carefully cut out the core, and divide the leaves evenly among 4 bowls. Spoon ssamjang butter evenly over cabbage, and top with fried shallots, nori, and gochugaru.