Name: Sautéed Cabbage with Ginger and Herbs
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons coconut oil; 1 head green cabbage (2 pounds), quartered, cored, and cut into 1½-inch pieces; 1½ teaspoons table salt , divided; 1 onion , sliced thin; 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 1 serrano chile , stemmed and sliced into thin rings; ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro; ¼ cup chopped fresh mint; 1½ tablespoons fish sauce; 2 teaspoons lime juice

Why This Recipe Works

We started this recipe by cutting a head of green cabbage into 1½-inch pieces for even cooking. To yield cabbage that was tender but had additional flavor from browning, we used a two-stage cooking process. We steamed the cabbage in a covered skillet in the beginning, and then we sautéed it uncovered, with little movement, toward the end to obtain color. Sharp aromatics gave the cabbage life and zest while cilantro, mint, and lime juice gave the dish freshness. Fish sauce added umami and depth.

Before You Begin

Vegetable oil can be substituted for the coconut oil, if desired. If you cannot find a serrano chile, you can substitute one jalapeño. If you're spice averse, consider halving the chile and removing the seeds. We recommend wearing rubber gloves when handling the chile. The skillet will be very full when you add the cabbage to it in step 1, but the pieces will shrink as they cook.

Instructions

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add cabbage and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover (lid may not sit snugly at first; this is OK) and cook until cabbage is just tender, about 4 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.

Uncover skillet and stir in onion, ginger, garlic, serrano, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, uncovered, until cabbage is charred in spots, 4 to 8 minutes longer, stirring once every 2 minutes.

Off heat, stir in cilantro, mint, fish sauce, and lime juice. Transfer to shallow platter and serve.