032 / 75 · A Vegetable-Led Table

Cabbage Wedges with Creamy Mustard Potatoes

2 generous plates, each with 2 cabbage wedges and half the creamy potatoes · Active 25 min · Total 45 min

Print recipe · PDF

Thick cabbage wedges become a useful main dish when their outer leaves brown and their centers turn tender. Here they sit over small potatoes in a creamy mustard sauce. The potatoes cook while the cabbage roasts, and the sauce uses ordinary milk rather than a carton of cream.

Jump to ingredients

Browned cabbage wedges served over potatoes in creamy mustard sauce.

Keep a little of the core

A narrow strip of cabbage core acts as a hinge that keeps the leaves together. Remove any woody protruding end, but do not cut the core completely out of each wedge before roasting. Pat the cut faces dry, oil them and give them room on the tray. A crowded heap steams instead of browning. When turning, slide a broad spatula under the wedge rather than lifting it by a loose outer leaf. The browned tips can be crisp while the central leaves are soft.

Potatoes make the sauce a meal

Cut the potatoes into small, similar chunks so they cook before the cabbage needs to come out of the oven. Drain them well, saving only the measured cooking water. Flour and butter make a small white sauce, loosened with milk and that potato water. Add mustard after the flour has cooked, then fold the potatoes in gently. Some softened edges will thicken the sauce further, but there should still be identifiable pieces rather than mashed potato.

Use the cabbage beyond this tray

The recipe needs four wedges, not a particular whole-head size. Weigh the trimmed amount and keep the rest of the cabbage wrapped in the refrigerator for another dish. A little mustard already open in the fridge is enough; there is no need for a new flavored jar. Serve the wedges over the potatoes so the sauce catches in the leaves. If your cabbage is very dense, give it a few more minutes and keep the potatoes warm over low heat.

Ingredients

  • 4 thick green cabbage wedges with a narrow strip of core attached (450 g trimmed)
  • 2 teaspoons neutral oil (10 ml)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g), divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (0.5 g)
  • 1 lb 2 oz potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch/2 cm chunks (500 g)
  • 1 tablespoon butter (14 g)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (12 g)
  • 3/4 cup milk (180 ml)
  • 1/2 cup reserved potato cooking water (120 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard (15 g)

Set out

Large baking tray, Saucepan, Colander, Small saucepan, Whisk, Wide spatula

Allergens

Milk, Wheat, Mustard. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat oven to 425°F/220°C. Pat cabbage dry, rub cut faces with oil and season with half the salt and the pepper. Place cut-side down on the tray. Roast for 30–35 minutes, turning carefully after 18 minutes, until the edges brown and a knife slides through the thick core.
  2. Meanwhile put potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 12–15 minutes until tender but not collapsing. Reserve 1/2 cup/120 ml cooking water, then drain.
  3. Melt butter in the small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and reserved potato water until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until lightly thickened and no longer floury.
  4. Stir in mustard and remaining salt, then fold in drained potatoes. Warm gently for 2–3 minutes without vigorous stirring. Divide creamy potatoes between two plates and place two hot cabbage wedges on each.

Keep the shopping simple

Use scrubbed potatoes if their skins are sound. This avoids peeling waste and does not require a special small-potato variety.

A useful detail

A knife should pass through the cabbage core without resistance. Brown outer leaves alone do not tell you that the center is ready.

Another way

  • Use wholegrain or smooth prepared mustard already on hand, keeping the quantity the same.
  • Use red cabbage wedges of the same weight; allow extra roasting time if the core is particularly firm and expect some purple color in the sauce.

Keep it well

Cool cabbage and potatoes promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Keep at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 3 days. Reheat to 165°F/74°C throughout; loosen potatoes with a little milk or water, and reheat cabbage separately if you want to keep some browned edges.