Charred cabbage with Café de Paris butter

Your new favorite appetizer

Happy Thursday everyone. Today is a free post, and on the menu is cabbage, quartered and charred, then finished with Café de Paris butter — a compound butter consisting of mustard, anchovies, herbs, and spice. Café de Paris butter has long kept company with steak; here, it finds a more interesting assignment.

This is the fourth recipe in the cooking with cabbage series. So far, we’ve had Brussels sprouts with horseradish cream, crisp shallots, and chilli-date oil; a cabbage cake of surprising elegance; and cabbage-wrapped meatballs baked in a rich vodka sauce.

In today’s recipe, the cabbage is placed in a pan and subjected to fierce heat until it chars and smokes, filling the kitchen with a scent somewhere between a campfire and a very good barbecue restaurant. Every instinct will tell you to intervene — to turn it early or lower the heat. Don’t. The golden char is the whole point. It gives the cabbage a deep sweetness and a smoky complexity that transforms this humble Brassica oleracea into something very special.

Compound butter: I always make more than I need and use it in everything! The butter will rescue grilled meat, enrich vegetables, and turn a simple plate of pasta into something indulgent.

The cabbage: hispi (pointed/sweetheart) cabbage is ideal. Its compact structure and natural sweetness allow it to withstand high heat without collapsing too quickly. If unavailable, a small Savoy or green cabbage will suffice.

Acid: A final squeeze of lemon sharpens the butter and balances the richness.

I always think of acidity as the element that brings a dish to life. That’s why a squeeze of lemon right at the end makes such a difference — not cooked in, but added just before serving.

Try it yourself: taste the dish before and after the lemon. It’s one of those small shifts that changes everything.

1. The 3-night 15 minute menu. Fast and delicious for midweek cooking.

2. Malted white chocolate banana bread with matcha spread. The perfect weekend treat/baking project.

3. Hot honey yogurt dip with crispy chickpeas & chorizo + quick bagels - a good pick if you’re entertaining this weekend.

Café de Paris Butter

A classic French-style compound butter with herbs, mustard, and umami elements. Ideal for melting over grilled or roasted veg.

Ingredients

• 250 g unsalted butter, softened

• 1 garlic clove, finely grated

• 1 small shallot, finely chopped

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp lemon juice (plus zest)

• 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp chives or tarragon, finely chopped

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• 1 anchovy fillet, mashed to a paste

• ½ tsp curry powder or paprika

• ½ tsp capers, very finely chopped

Method

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together until smooth and evenly combined.

2. Taste, then adjust salt, acidity, and herb content, as required.

3. Spoon onto parchment paper, roll into a log, and chill until firm.

4. Slice into rounds as needed.

Charred Cabbage

Serves 4 as a starter

• 1 large hispi (pointed) cabbage

• Olive oil

• Flaky salt and freshly cracked black pepper

• ½ lemon, for squeezing

• Café de Paris butter ( above)

Method

1. Quarter the cabbage through the core, keeping each wedge intact. Pat dry, brush with olive oil, and season generously.

2. Set a heavy cast-iron skillet, pan, or BBQ over high heat. Place the wedges cut-side down and allow them to blacken for approx. 2-4 minutes each side until charred.

3. Turn and fry the other cut side for another 2-4 minutes. If the inner leaves still feel firm, lower the heat, cover loosely, and steam-finish for approx. 2 minutes.

Assemble

While still hot, lay generous slices of Café de Paris butter over the cabbage wedges, allowing it to melt into every charred layer. If you prefer, you can melt the butter first and spoon it over so it runs into all the crevices. Finish with a good squeeze of lemon just before serving.

Serve warm with crusty bread, grilled meat, or lentils. Also magnificent on its own.

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