Fried Cabbage

In all my years of growing up and of eating in the South, it wasn’t until about two years ago that I actually even heard of fried cabbage.Â Jonathan Silverman, who played the main character in Neil Simons’ Brighton Beach Memoirs, was quoted as saying that the smell of steamed cabbage could be detected up to a mile away.Â This was said with much disdain for the dish and as a kid, I agreed with his statement.
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Fried cabbage, on the other hand, is a totally different ballgame.Â The flavor is mild and not overpowering as the steamed counterpart.

I first heard about fried cabbage one evening after work while having a conversation with one of the guys that works for me.Â He was talking about going over to his mom’s for dinner and getting to have her pork chops and fried cabbage.Â I had never heard of such a thing, and he looked at me as if I had a third eye in the middle of my forehead.

Being a foodie, I immediately started asking him questions about how to prepare it and different variations.Â I went home that evening trying to figure out how soon I could try it myself. We finally had the opportunity when I decided to serve it at my son’s 2nd birthday party along with the Beaufort Stew we had made.Â We were hooked.Â

Enjoy.

Fried Cabbage

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage, core removed and shredded
3 Tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

Instructions:

Heat 10-inch covered skillet over medium heat until warm.Â Add olive oil and shredded cabbage.
Using a set of tongs, toss cabbage in oil until thoroughly coated and cabbage begins to soften slightly.
Turn heat down to low, cover and cook for approximately 15 minutes or until cabbage is completely softened.Â Stir occasionally to keep cabbage from turning brown.Â Season with salt to taste.

Chef’s Note:Â Variations of this dish could include browning diced bacon and rendering fat as a substitute for olive oil; seasoning with a cajun spice blend; or seasoning with smoked ham hock.Â The key is to cook the cabbage slowly over low heat and toss occasionally so as not to brown or burn.Â You also may want to add a small amount of water, no more than two teaspoons to the skillet in order to create steam, which will aid in softening the cabbage.

NEED ANY OF THE TOOLS USED?

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Rating scale

1 star - Feed it to the dog
2 stars - Surprise your neighbor

3 stars - Definite keeper

4 stars - Looking forward to leftovers

5 stars - Clean plate and nap time! Are there enough ingredients left to make it again soon?

The Chef - 4 stars

The Lucky Wife - 4 Stars

The Well-Fed Son (5 years old) - 4 Stars
The Well-Fed Daughter (22 months old) - 4 Stars

*Rate it yourself in the comments!

Additional fried cabbage recipes from around the food blogosphere:

Bento filler: Stir-fried cabbage with garlic, dried cranberries and balsamic vinegar (Add to your lunchbox file of ideas along with these and these!)

Cabbage Thoran ~ Stir-fried cabbage

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About the Author

Raised in eastern North Carolina, The Chef has always most loved southern cuisine. While working for a top resort just after finishing Culinary School at Johnson and Wales University, when they still had a campus located in Charleston, South Carolina, he began learning about Gullah cuisine and enjoys it as well. He's a family man and country boy at heart, loves hunting and is a big fan of the John Boy and Billy Big Show and the Carolina Panthers.