Cabbage steak with carrot and white bean purée and crispy chickpeas

I used to be wary of cabbage steaks on restaurant menus, until I tried one… It turns out that an ordinary cabbage can be a very, very tasty star of a main course! No wonder combinations like this have become so popular in restaurants. This dish has everything: a wonderfully smooth and delicious purée, a juicy, browned cabbage steak and crispy chickpeas.

Here’s how I made it.

First, I preheated the oven and got to work on the cabbage. I cut a medium cabbage in half, then into thick steaks. The key is to cut it so that the leaves stay firmly attached to the core: this keeps the steaks together and makes them much easier to turn. I poured a little olive oil into a hot frying pan, browned the steaks nicely on both sides, seasoned them with salt and transferred them to the hot oven for a good half hour, until evenly cooked and tender.

While the cabbage was roasting, I made the purée. I peeled and sliced the carrots and fried them briefly in oil. Then I poured in some chicken stock—or, to be precise, added a few cubes of frozen stock. I use homemade frozen stock in almost everything; I have written about how I make it here. I covered the carrots and left them to simmer gently. Once completely soft, I added a can of white beans and a splash of cream, then blended everything until silky smooth. Finally, I added a little salt and pepper.

For a vegan version, use vegetable stock and vegan cream.

The finishing touch was the crispy chickpea topping. I cut salted pork belly into small cubes, added well-drained chickpeas and fried everything until nicely browned. I tipped it into a bowl, grated in some lemon zest, squeezed in the juice of half a lemon and added finely chopped fresh herbs—coriander, parsley, mint, or whatever you have; dill and spring onions work too—and a little spicy seasoning. By the way, for a plant-based version, simply replace the pork belly with finely chopped onion: the chickpeas will be just as crispy and delicious!

Then all that was left was to serve it: a generous spoonful of carrot and white bean purée, a cabbage steak on top and plenty of crispy chickpeas scattered over it. If you like a little heat, a sprinkling of cayenne pepper looks lovely and tastes great. Fresh herbs and a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil work beautifully too. So, so delicious!