On The Side #14 | Hispi cabbage
The trendy burnt and/or raw one
Cabbages don’t normally get labelled ‘trendy’. One variety, though, is so fashionable, that it exists at Britney, Beyonce and Molière levels of mononymity on British restaurant menus (and no doubt elsewhere too).
For the last 15 years we’ve seen
‘Hispi’
reverently scrawled, chalked-up and typed in sans-serif fonts, as if it’s a highly prized, hyper seasonal ingredient, or a top end (and top-branded) regenerative farmer. It’s gone on for so long that we must have lapped it up — “oh, you have hispi? Well we must order that”. Remarkable, given wedges of this cabbage are generally served burnt on the outside, near raw in the middle.
Sorry, this is coming out more disparaging than intended.
In fact I love hispi cabbage (also known as sweetheart and pointed cabbage), and pretty much everything that gets used to embellish it. And I don’t have any problem with how often it’s on a menu.
Does seem to be getting quite pricey, though.
And while the cost of all other menu items is (justifiably) rising rapidly too, this remains, well, cabbage.
A friend recently reported being served one quarter of a hispi for the princely sum of £14 (in a restaurant set at the back of a Walthamstow linen factory…). Given a whole hispi will set you back between 80p and £1.50, and all that’s really happening is that it’s burnt and dressed, it’s time to start cooking it at home.
In short that means halving, quartering, or cutting the cabbage into six through the core (depending what you’re after), then charring the cut edges on a griddle pan, skillet or over flames. Once thoroughly browned or blackened, you can warm it for a little longer on the, just to take the edge off, or pot-roast it, or just take it off the heat and chop it up. Finally dress or embellish it with punchy dressings (any vinaigrette, myriad compound butters, tahini, yoghurt), and pops of vibrant and aromatic flavours (fresh herbs, pomegranate seeds, crispy shallots, pickled chillies, dukkah, nuts and seeds etc etc).
As far as dressings and toppings go, the world is pretty much your oyster. I do, however, offer two of my favourites in this weeks recipes. And also a recipe for totally uncooked hispi, in case the whole burning thing doesn’t take your fancy.
This week’s recipes
There are some visual intros to dishes in the videos and instagram link below.
Although if you prefer things at a slower pace, here they are in bullet list form!
Charred hispi cabbage with anchovy and creme fraiche sauce — a favourite from my first cookbook, On the Side — charred edges, crunchy inners, chopped through for ease of serving and eating and lashed with a kinda bagna cause-lite sauce. LUSH.
Blackened hispi cabbage with chilli crisp butter — I do love that anchovy one… but this might now be my favourite charred hispi side.
Sour and salty shredded hispi salad — for when something fresh and zippy is required, this cross between a slaw and a soggy salad has a Thai-ish dressing, and will be on our table throughout this summer and beyond.
Here’s the blackened hispi with chilli crisp butter
And the soggy salad (complete with piano practice and phone alarms)
And the full gamut, by way of Instagram reel with voiceover and (apparently) trending music…
Also below the paywall, a bunch of inspiring hispi cabbage ideas from around the internet. Intrigued? Join us!
The Recipes
