Roasted Cabbage with Bacon & Pecan Crumb

Here is a different take on the classic cabbage and bacon combination which will make a lovely side for your Christmas meal. It makes a great replacement to brussel sprouts if your family isn't keen on them!

The bacon is cooked until crispy to form a crumb, and paired with rosemary and pecans for extra crunch. It's finished with a sherry sauce which makes it feel really festive.

You can prep the bacon and the sauce ahead of time to make things easier for you on the day.

Serves 4-6

30 minutes

Ingredients

50g butter (or ghee for those with lactose intolerance)

1 savoy cabbage, cut into 8 quarters

4 rashers of unsmoked back bacon, cut into fine dice

4 tbs pecans, chopped finely

2 tbs fresh rosemary, chopped finely

100ml vegetable stock

75ml dry sherry

Method for Roasted Cabbage with Bacon and Pecan Crumb

Prep ahead tip: the bacon is much easier to cut into fine dice when it has been frozen. So you can freeze the rashers, and chop them up if you like, the day before you do the dish.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C/390 degrees F.

Bring the butter to a boil over a low-medium heat. Simmer until the butter has turned light brown and frothy, then poor it into a bowl.

Arrange the bacon pieces on a baking tray and brush them with a little of the butter. Bake them in the oven for 8 minutes. Then add the pecans and rosemary and bake for another 5-6 minutes, until everything is golden and crispy. Set aside.

Arrange the cabbage on another baking tray and drizzle over olive oil. Turn the oven down to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes.

Whilst the cabbage is cooking, simmer the stock and sherry on a low-medium heat for around 10 minutes until it is almost completely reduced. Stir the butter into this sauce.

When the cabbage is cooked, arrange it on a platter, drizzle over the sherry sauce and sprinkle the bacon crumb over the top. Enjoy immediately!