When my neighbor brought over a bag of groceries during this shelter-in and inside I found a head of red cabbage, I immediately knew what I had to do with it.
I haven’t made anything with red cabbage in decades and seeing it immediately brought back a recipe in one my cookbooks. I knew it must have been special, because I remember very few of my old recipes. But the memory of crunchy crimson cabbage, crispy, smokey bacon and tangy goat cheese made such an impression that decades later upon seeing a red cabbage, I knew I had to recreate it.
I seldom go back to making old recipes, because I always prefer creating new ones. Most of my books are not on my computer, because they go back about 30 years and during that time I’ve upgraded my programs so often, gone from a Microsoft to a Mac, that I’ve lost many of them on my computer. (My first cookbook, Cookery for Entertaining was written on a typewriter with carbon paper. You have to be over 50 to even know what carbon paper is.) I perused my cookbooks until I found the recipe for the red cabbage salad. It is from Easy Entertaining with Marlene Sorosky published in 1988.
The list of health benefits in red cabbage is impressive. It is linked to stronger bones and a healthier heart, thought to lower inflammation and protect against certain types of cancers and is also loaded with vitamins. Since I haven’t eaten a head of red cabbage in years, (sometimes I throw a few shreds into salads and coleslaw) this was a good chance to eat some.
Although bacon isn’t on the list of healthy foods we should be consuming and isn’t commonly found in my fridge, adding a little bacon to an otherwise nutritious salad is worth being a little naughty.
I made the salad and it didn’t disappoint. In fact, it was even better than I remembered. I dropped off some at my neighbors and they agreed that it is the best red cabbage salad they’ve ever tasted. It is so good, in fact, that when I made my weekly grocery shopping, I bought a head of red cabbage and made the salad again.
A sharp knife does a perfect shop of sliciing cabbage into shreds. But a food processor or mandoline work well too.
First slice the bacon and then chop it, to make smaller pieces.
A skimmer is the perfect tool to remove bacon to paper towels to drain.
Red Cabbage Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese
1 pound red cabbage (about 1/2 of a medium head).
12 oz. sliced bacon, center cut preferred, chopped
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Dressing
1/4 cup reserved bacon drippings
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as canola
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1. To prepare cabbage: Cut cabbage in half and cut out core. Shred cabbage with the thin or medium blade of a food processor, a mondoline or as I prefer, slice with a very sharp knife. (see photo above.) You should have about 6 cups. Place in a large bowl.
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, fry bacon until crisp and all fat has rendered. If browning too quickly, reduce heat to medium. Remove bacon to paper towels; reserve 1/4 cup drippings for the dressing.
3. Add bacon and goat cheese to cabbage.
4. To make the dressing: In a small glass bowl or saucepan, whisk together bacon drippings, garlic, vinegar, oil and pepper to taste.
TO PREPARE AHEAD: Both the salad and dressing my be refrigerated for several hours or overnight. Bring salad to room temperature at least one hour before serving.
5. To serve: Heat dressing in the microwave or on top of the stove until hot. Pour as much dressing as needed to coat the cabbage; you may not use it all. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Makes 6 servings.
