A recipe that takes me back to cooking busy, busy lunches at the wonderful Towpath.
This recipe will work for Pointed cabbages, Savoy or January King.
1-2 cabbages
250g Cherry tomatoes
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
Glug of sherry or red wine vinegar
Bigger glug of olive oil
200g Piquillo peppers (or any nice jarred/cooked red pepper)
100g Ground almonds
Salt and Pepper
Turn your oven up to high, real high, smoking high!! Put a suitable roasting tray in the oven.
Whilst your house is warming up get on with your Romesco sauce. Put your tomatoes in the oven (in a separate tray) with the garlic, paprika, cayenne, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Give them a good toss and roast for 10 mins until soft and yummers. Spinkle over your ground almonds and return to the oven for a few minutes to toast them sightly. Once happy remove, leave to cool then blend in a food processor with the piquillo peppers until you have a loose sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required.
Bring a pot of water to the boil and cut your cabbages into quarters or more depending on size, leaving the root intact as this will hold your vegetable together. When the water is at a rolling boil dunk in your cabbage wedges. Cook for 3-5 mins. You're just trying to get them started not fully cooked. Drain in a colander.
Once your cabbages have cooled a little toss them in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Pull out your smoking hot tray from the oven and carefully put in your cabbages. Throw them in the oven and quickly close the door. You want maximum heat here. Roast in the oven for around 10 mins or until nicely charred and cooked through.
Remove and artfully place on a serving platter. Smother with Romesco and devour with good bread and obligatory vino!