Thursday, November 29, 2012

Brunkål med Flæsk (Sugar browned Cabbage with Bacon)

Brunkål med Flæsk
Shhhh, don't tell anyone but I am so happy for cooler weather.   I not only get to dress warmly, but I get to cook totally differently.   And with the cooler weather, I also get to make some comfort food, at least it's comfort food for this Dane. 

Brunkål med Flæsk
 To begin with take a head of cabbage, core it and then slice it thinly.
    As soon as you've finished, put a large pot or pan on the stove and spread about a quarter cup of sugar in the bottom of it.   You want to caramelize the sugar, get it nice and brown, before you add the cabbage to it.

After adding the cabbage to the pan, stir it around a little and let the caramelized sugar coat the cabbage.

   While that's happening get a couple slices of nice thick bacon out and slice it into thirds.   I like to let the cabbage cook a little, maybe five minutes or so before I add the bacon to the pot.  I know I said a couple of slices, and the picture shows a lot more, but hey, a little bacon is good, but more is better.
 Add the bacon to the pot, give it another stir, turn the heat down low and let it cook.
  You don't need to add water or anything else at this point, the cabbage releases enough water to keep it moist and the bacon will release some of its fat as well.

At this point, let it cook down for a couple or three hours, until the cabbage is very soft and mushy.   Check on it from time to time and give it a stir but basically, just let it cook.

Almost ready, and if you can see, through the steam, that the cabbage has reduced by quite a bit and the bacon has also rendered down a lot.    I was hungry at this point, and the smells were so good, that I took it off the hob and dished some up. 

 When it's done, just take a nice big spoonful of it, place it on a slice of rye bread and eat it.   As you can see, I was hungry and forgot to take a picture of it before I dove in.  Sorry. 

This is how my mom used to make it, at least as memory serves me, of course I add a little more bacon to it, just cause I like bacon.   And when I serve this, after taking a bite, I can go back in time a little and remember lunches and dinners with my parents, especially my dad.   He loved this meal.  I even made this for my uncle when he came for a visit from Denmark once, and he was very appreciative, as Uncle Helge said, it's nice to have some familiar food, after eating all that foreign food.  Canadian food was a little too exotic for his tastes, he liked the familiar taste from home. 

yield: 4 servingsprint recipe

Brunkål med Flæsk (Sugar browned Cabbage with Bacon)

prep time: 15 MINScook time: 2 hourtotal time: 2 hours and 15 mins
Three ingredients make up this dish. Usually served hot on a piece of rye bread, this makes for a satisfying lunch or light dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 head of cabbage, cored and sliced
  • 4-6 slices good meaty bacon
  • 1/4 cup sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. To begin with take a head of cabbage, core it and then slice it thinly. As soon as you've finished, put a large pot or pan on the stove and spread about a quarter cup of sugar in the bottom of it. You want to caramelize the sugar, get it nice and brown, before you add the cabbage to it. 
  2. After adding the cabbage to the pan, stir it around a little and let the caramelized sugar coat the cabbage. 
  3. As the cabbage is browning, take out the bacon and slice it into thirds.   Let the cabbage cook a little, maybe five minutes or so before adding the bacon to the pot.
  4. After adding the bacon to the pot, give it another stir, place a lid on top,  turn the heat down low and let it cook. You don't need to add water or anything else at this point, the cabbage releases enough water to keep it moist and the bacon will release some of its fat as well.  
  5. Cook over low heat for a couple or three hours, until the cabbage is very soft and mushy. Check on it from time to time and give it a stir but basically, just let it cook.  You can take the lid off the last half hour or so if desired.  
All recipes and their respective images are either original or adapted and credited, and are all the sole property of Sid's Sea Palm Cooking © 2011-2019, with all rights reserved thereof.

This recipe and many more Danish Recipes are in my cookbook Hygge- Danish Food and Recipes Dansk Mad og Opskrifter til et Hyggeligt Hjemme, available on Amazon. 

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Sidsel Munkholm - Author
Sidsel Munkholm - Author

Sid loves to cook, feed people and have fun in the kitchen. She shares her successes and the involuntary offerings she sometimes gives the kitchen goddess as well. And she's still looking for the mythical fairy to help her clean the kitchen after a marathon cooking session. Currently working on a cookbook showcasing the recipes from her Danish heritage.

4 comments:

  1. Looks amazing. We'll be trying this recipe soon!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovely, delicious, easy. Salted to taste in the last 1/2 hour. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The best time to add salt. I rarely salt mine, the bacon usually salts it enough for my taste.

      Delete

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