The first time a diner sets eyes on the charred form of a whole roasted cabbage, their look is somewhat puzzled. That’s part of the fun of this recipe. The unassuming hulk of cabbage has a certain austere beauty, promising little. As you cut into it and release a waft of steam and smoke, the puzzled look of your guests will turn into an expectant countenance, as if to say “I wasn’t quite sure about this, but now I’m intrigued.” What follows with the first bite is, quite often, rapture. All of this from a humble cabbage!
If you are contemplating a daylong outdoor cooking event, hang a cabbage over very low heat for many hours. If you don’t have that amount of fire time, you can get quite nice results in an horno, or even a Weber kettle grill with a few coals banked along either side of the bottom of the kettle and the cabbage in the middle (where it is not receiving direct heat). If you don’t have outdoor fire, you can get a nice result in a hot oven. Regardless of the heat source, my recommendation for the fullest flavor and the most dramatic presentation is to give the cabbage a good long cook time. I’ve cooked it for up to 10 hours. Although I’ve never heard anyone compare a cabbage to a fine Burgundy, what holds true for both is that flavor develops over time.
Recipe information
Total Time
2 hours
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the horno, or a home oven, to 350°F (180°C).
Step 2
Trim off any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage and trim the core end so it sits flat. With a sharp knife, cut a deep X into the core and put the cabbage in a very large pot with plenty of water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, and blanch for about 5 minutes. Drain and pat the cabbage dry.
Step 3
Pour the olive oil into a large deep cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven and roll the cabbage around in it until thoroughly coated. Cover the skillet or Dutch oven tightly with foil or a lid, place in the oven, and roast for about 30 minutes. At this point, check the cabbage for doneness by seeing how deeply you can pierce it with a long metal skewer or kitchen fork. This will give you an idea of how much more cooking time it needs. If the pot seems dry, add a little water.
Step 4
Baste the cabbage with more oil and return it to the oven, uncovered, to roast for 40 to 60 minutes (depending on the size of the cabbage), or until it can be easily pierced all the way through.
Step 5
Meanwhile, make the salsa. Using long-handled tongs and a pot holder, hold the grapefruit over a hot fire (or gas burner), rotating it occasionally, until the peel is spotted with char in patches, about 5 minutes. When the grapefruit is cool enough to handle, cut it into eighths and scrape the pulp and juice into a small bowl, discarding the seeds and membrane.
Step 6
Choose the two least-charred pieces of grapefruit peel and discard the rest. Set the peel down flat; with a small sharp knife, pare off all the bitter white pith, leaving only the zest. Finely chop the zest and set it aside.
Step 7
Toast the walnuts in a small pan for about 5 minutes, until crisped and fragrant. Combine the olive oil, Campari, rosemary, grapefruit pulp and juice, and half the grapefruit zest in a bowl and whisk to combine. Taste and add more grapefruit zest only if you think it needs it.
Step 8
To serve, set the cabbage on a carving board like you would a roast. Cut it in half through the core, lay the halves down flat, and carve them into wedges, keeping some core attached to each slice to hold them together. Spoon some salsa over the plated slices and serve the rest on the side.
Recipe notes
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