Name: Sautéed Cabbage with Chile and Peanuts
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 small head green cabbage (1 1/4 pounds), cored and sliced thin; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 red onion , halved and sliced thin; 1 jalapeño chile , stemmed, halved, seeded, and sliced thin; Salt; 2 garlic cloves , minced to paste; 4 teaspoons fish sauce; 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar; 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1 tablespoon lime juice; 2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Why This Recipe Works

Unlike kale and Brussels sprouts, which have undergone a recent resurgence, cabbage is still considered boring and bland at best and mushy and smelly at worst. In our recipe, we mitigate the pungent flavors and sulfurous odors that can plague many (over)cooked cabbage dishes while bringing out the vegetable’s natural sweetness and maintaining a crisp-tender texture. Instead of boiling or braising, we pan-steam and sauté the cabbage over relatively high heat to cook it quickly and add an extra layer of flavor from browning. A precooking step of soaking the cabbage reduces bitterness while providing extra moisture to help the cabbage steam. Cooked alliums help reinforce sweetness, while an acid provides a shot of brightness.

Before You Begin

Soaking the cabbage gets rid of some of the enzymes that produce sulfurous flavors; do not skip this step. To make this dish spicier, reserve and add the jalapeño seeds in step 3 when seasoning.

Instructions

Place cabbage in large bowl and cover with cold water; let stand for 3 minutes. Drain cabbage well and set aside. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, jalapeño, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer onion mixture to bowl.

Return now-empty skillet to medium-high heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and heat until shimmering. Add cabbage and sprinkle with fish sauce and brown sugar. Cover and cook, without stirring, until cabbage is wilted and lightly browned on bottom, about 3 minutes.

Stir and continue to cook, uncovered, until cabbage is crisp-tender and lightly browned in places, about 4 minutes longer, stirring once halfway through cooking. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in onion mixture, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt to taste, transfer to serving bowl, sprinkle with peanuts, and serve.