WORLD'S BEST BRAISED CABBAGE

WORLD'S BEST BRAISED CABBAGE image

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
1 large yellow onion (about 8 oz) thickly sliced
1 large carrot cut into quarter-inch rounds
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Fleur de sel or coarse sea salt

Steps:

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly oil a large gratin dish or baking dish (9x13-inches works well) Trimming the cabbage: Peel off and discard any bruised leaves from the cabbage. The cabbage should weigh close to two pounds. If it weighs more, it won't fit in the baking dish and won't braise beautifully. To remedy this, cut away a wedge of the cabbage to trim it down to size. Save the leftover wedge for salad or coleslaw. Then cut the cabbage into eight wedges. Arrange the wedges in the baking dish; they may overlap some, but do your best to make a single layer. The braise: Scatter in the onion and carrot. Drizzle over the oil and stock or water. Season with salt, pepper and the pepper flakes. Cover tightly with foil, and slide into the middle of the oven to braise until the vegetables are completely tender, about two hours. Turn the cabbage wedges with tongs after an hour. Don't worry if the wedges want to fall apart as you turn them; just do your best to keep them intact. If the dish is drying out, add a few tablespoons of water. The finish: Once the cabbage is completely tnder, remove the foil, increase the oven heat to 400, and roast until the vegetables begin to brown, another 15 minutes or so. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with fleur de sel or other coarse salt.