Cabbage Shepherds Pie

the perfect project for this holiday weekend!

I used to work at a fancy restaurant. You know, one of those places where everything is tiny, and there are a lot of foams. One of the first dishes I was responsible for was a scallop crudo marinated in a sake lees dressing garnished with cabbage ice and punched-out coins of compressed Savoy cabbage leaves. The cabbage coins and cabbage ice had to be made from the very greenest parts of the cabbage leaves.

This left behind over 75 percent of the vegetables that I had to use up for family meals every day. I made a lot of cabbage slaw, cabbage salad, cabbage soup, braised cabbage, cabbage curry—you get the picture. It was often the only vegetable we’d ever eat, leaving all the cooks super gassy. And obviously, as the only girl on the team, my station became the unofficial fart corner. But hey, at least I really got to learn my way around a head of cabbage.

Sometimes when I have a lot of something I start to hate it. But not so with cabbage. Having to figure out what to do with pounds and pounds of cabbage made me appreciate how versatile it is. It’s got a great crunch when raw, nice squeaky chew when barely cooked, and becomes so silky after a long braise. The longer you cook it, the more sweet it becomes, while deeply charring cabbage adds tons of umami.

This Cabbage Shepherds Pie takes the meaty, starchy layers of a traditional shepherds pie and throws a whole head of cabbage at it. The big outer leaves are pull from the head, blanched, and used to wrap the pie. It keeps the meat from drying out in the oven, adds a silky layer, and allows you to flip out the pie for a festive apperance (because everyone know that flipping food is always fun).

The remaining cabbage is chopped fine and cooked until totally wilted, caramelized, and even blackened in places. Don’t get scared of any blackened or even burnt bits. With cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables, blackening them won’t make them bitter! Instead they’re savory flavors intensify, so bring on the burn. This cabbage is mixed with the ground meat, stretching the pound so you can easily serve six.

Cabbage Shepherds Pie

serves 4 to 6 | active time: 1 ½ hours | total time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

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• kosher salt

• 1 medium head cabbage (red, green, or Savoy)

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, plus more

• 1 pound ground lamb, beef, chicken, or pork

• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ½ tsp kashmiri red chili (or ¼ teaspoon cayenne)

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 ½ pounds Russet potato (3 medium)

• ¾ cup milk

• ½ cup cream

• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

• 1 cup low sodium chicken or beef bone broth

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

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1. Blanch cabbage leaves: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with water and ice. Line a sheet tray with paper towels.

2. Use a sharp paring knife to trim and discard the bottom stem from the cabbage. Carefully peel off 10 large leaves, using a knife first to cut it away from the bottom stem, then use your fingers to pry it off the head. (If your cabbage is very fresh, the leaves won’t easily peel off. Don’t worry if they tear, you can jigsaw them together when assembling the pie.)

3. Cut the ribs out of the leaves and reserve. Boil the cabbage leaves in 2 to 3 batches until they become vibrant green, tender, and pliable, 3 to 4 minutes. Plunge in the ice bath to cool, then lay onto the paper towel-lined sheet tray to drain. (Empty the pot and reserve for making the potatoes. Empty the bowl and reserve for mixing the meat.)

4. Cook the meat: Heat a medium skillet with high sides over medium heat (I use a 10-inch cast iron skillet). Increase the heat to medium-high, add the oil, and once it’s nearly smoking, add the ground meat and press into one even layer. Sprinkle over the garlic, cumin, pepper, chili, cinnamon, and season generously with salt. Cook, undisturbed, until deeply browned underneath, 6 to 8 minutes. 

5. Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining cabbage head and ribs. 

6. Once browned, break up the meat with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until no pink remains, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and use a slotted spatula to transfer the meat to the reserved bowl, leaving any fat behind in the pan. 

7. Cook the cabbage: Make sure there’s enough fat to cover the bottom of the skillet. (Depending on how fatty your meat is, you may need to add more or drain off excess.) Return to medium heat, add the cabbage, and season generously with salt. (It might look like a lot. Don’t worry, it will cook down.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, golden brown all over and blackened in places, about 20 minutes. 

8. While the cabbage cooks, make mash: Peel the potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces, and transfer to the reserved pot. Add the milk, cream, and generously season with salt. Bring to a simmer, then the reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until totally tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, add the lemon zest, and use a masher to mash in the pot. Taste and add salt if needed. (If the mixture looked very dry at any point during cooking, add a splash of milk.)

9. Finish the cabbage: Once the cabbage is cooked, add the bone broth and scrape up any brown bits that are sticking to the pan. Increase the heat to high and simmer until totally reduced. 3 to 5 minutes. Add the honey and lemon juice, then scrape into the bowl with the meat. Toss together, taste, and add salt as needed. 

10. Assemble the pie: Heat the oven to 400F. Wash and dry the skillet. Heat over medium about 2 minutes, then remove from heat and brush generously with oil. Line the pan with the blanched cabbage leaves, over lapping slightly and allowing them to hang over the edge so you can fold them over. (Put your prettiest leaves on the bottom, which will be the presentation side.) 

11. Add the potatoes and use an offset spatula to spread into an even layer. Add the meat mixture and spread into an layer. Fold the leaves over and add more leaves to fully over the pie. Brusk the top lightly with oil. Bake until the leaves are browned and the filling is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes before inverting onto a plate. Cut wedges and serve right away. 

Cabbage Shepherds Pie

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