In season in the UK from September to March this beautiful dark green cabbage looks lovely in its raw state but retains that look even after cooking, and even after dressing. That makes it a good option for an Autumn or Winter salad whether you eat it hot or cold. It’s worth making lots of it and adding a dressing if you like, as it will keep well if covered and stored in the fridge, ready to dip into for a daily hit of dark and nutritious greens.
Only buy leaves that are the darkest of green (not yellowing at all). Use 3 or 4 leaves for each person. Wash them well, drain them, cut out and discard the central stems and slice the leaves crosswise into thin strands. You can drop these strands into soups, stews and casseroles and let them soften gently – they will retain their lovely dark colour. Or, steam the shredded leaves gently for about 4 minutes before adding a pinch of salt flakes and some olive oil or a salad dressing such as the one shown below. Or, you could quickly stir fry them in a little butter or oil with a pinch of salt flakes if you like. You could also stir in some little pieces of cheese if appropriate – most cheeses would work well.
A good salad dressing for shredded Cavolo Nero
For 4 portions of the cabbage
3 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
1 tbsp of blackberry or raspberry vinegar see SWEET RASPBERRY VINEGAR or 1 tbsp of red wine or sherry vinegar and half a tsp of sugar
1 tsp English mustard
Whisk together all the ingredients and gently stir it into the cooked, hot or cold Cavolo Nero
