001 / 75 · Centerpieces with a twist

Cranberry Cabbage Rosette

8 roasted cabbage wedges, one per side-dish portion · Active 30 min · Cook 1 hr 15 min · Total 1 hr 45 min

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Purple cabbage takes the place of a roast. The wedges cook separately so their edges can color, then come together as a loose rosette with a chopped-cranberry glaze.

Jump to ingredients

Eight glazed red cabbage wedges arranged like an open flower.

Keep a little core

A narrow strip of core holds each wedge together during turning. Cut through the thick leaf bases rather than tearing them apart. Guests can cut away the firm core on their own plates; the leaves should be tender enough to yield to a fork.

Arrange after roasting

The flower shape belongs on the serving platter, not in the oven. Separate wedges roast more evenly than a crowded upright bundle. Put their narrow ends toward the center and let the leafy ends open outward, leaving the browned edges visible.

Ingredients

  • 1 small red cabbage, 900 g/2 lb after loose leaves are removed
  • 1 onion, 150 g/5¼ oz, peeled and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml), divided 20 ml for roasting and 10 ml for glaze
  • 40 g/1½ oz dried cranberries, finely chopped
  • 150 ml water (½ cup + 2 tablespoons), plus up to 60 ml (¼ cup) only if the tray dries
  • 60 ml apple cider vinegar (¼ cup)
  • 25 g Dijon mustard (about 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons)
  • 15 g maple syrup (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 1 g caraway seeds (½ teaspoon)
  • 3 g fine salt (½ teaspoon)
  • 0.5 g black pepper (¼ teaspoon)

Set out

Oven, Rimmed metal tray with usable base at least 16 × 12 in/40 × 30 cm, Foil, Knife and board, Small saucepan, Spoon and pastry brush, Wide spatula, 30 cm/12 in serving platter, Food thermometer, Shallow storage boxes and refrigerator

Allergens

Mustard. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Cut the cabbage through the core into 8 equal wedges, leaving a thin core strip on each. Spread the onion on the tray. Coat cabbage and onion with 20 ml oil, the salt and pepper. Lay wedges in one layer; use a second tray rather than overlap them.
  2. Add 100 ml of the measured water around the vegetables. Cover tightly with foil and roast 40 minutes. Uncover carefully, turn the wedges and roast another 20 minutes. Thick cabbage may need longer; test a thick leaf base with a fork.
  3. Meanwhile simmer cranberries, the remaining 50 ml water, vinegar, maple syrup and caraway in the saucepan for 6–8 minutes. Stir in mustard and the remaining 10 ml oil. The glaze should spoon easily; keep its fruit pieces rather than straining them out.
  4. Spoon all the glaze over the cabbage and onion. Roast 10–15 minutes more, until the leaves are tender and the edges browned. If the tray dries before the leaves soften, add a small measured splash of water and extend cooking.
  5. Rest 5 minutes. Transfer all 8 wedges to the platter with their narrow ends pointing inward. Spoon over the onion and tray juices. Serve the rosette as 8 separate side portions.

Bring it

Carry in a lidded oven-safe dish. Keep at 140°F/60°C or above if taking hot, or chill and transport in an iced cooler at 40°F/4°C or below. Count uncontrolled travel and display together toward 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C.

Finish at the gathering

For a chilled dish, arrange reheating with the host: a 375°F/190°C oven and about 25–35 minutes, covered, until every wedge reaches 165°F/74°C. Transfer to the platter there; do not borrow an oven without arranging the space.

Make it yours

Use a simple circular platter for a winter supper, or set the wedges in two straight rows for a buffet with little table space. No seasonal decoration is needed.

Ingredient labels

Dijon mustard contains mustard; check its label and the dried fruit for other ingredients or sulfites.

A useful detail

The 105-minute estimate allows initial preparation, 75 minutes roasting and a short rest; the glaze cooks during roasting. Dense heads can take longer. The platter arrangement does not require skewers or an inedible central support.

Another way

  • Use prepared green cabbage at the same 900 g weight; check tenderness rather than shortening the roast automatically.
  • Replace maple syrup with 15 g honey; the finished dish then contains honey.

Keep it well

Chill reserved wedges promptly in shallow containers and keep at 40°F/4°C or below; use within 3 days. Follow the Bring it limits for time outside temperature control. Reheat covered portions to 165°F/74°C, then uncover briefly; their edges will soften.