Fried Cabbage with Bacon & Onions

 

I have always loved fried cabbage.  I first had it when I was in high school.  We cooked it in our Home Economics Class. It was just fried cabbage and it was mixed with buttered noodles.  I fell in love with it then, and I have loved it ever since. It is a dish my family also loved through the years and something a few of them still make, if not all, the older ones at any rate.

 

My sister pinned this version the other day and from the moment I saw it I wanted to cook it.  It comes from a blog called Cakes Cottage.

 

I thought that the addition of bacon sounded quite tasty.  The cabbage and onions actually get sauteed in the bacon drippings.  Our bacon is very lean over here in the UK.  Even the streaky bacon, so I added a touch of olive oil when it came time to sauteeing the cabbage.

 

I added 1 medium carrot, which I chopped into bits, for colour and for sweetness.  You could also add some other vegetables if you wanted to. But it was nice with just the cabbage, onion and carrot.

 

I was going to toss it with some fried pierogi, but I didn't have any made, so Todd enjoyed his with some leftover ham and a baked potato leftover from the other day. 

 

After I had served his up I thought to myself I don't want a baked potato or leftover ham with mine.  I fancy some noodles.  Cabbage and noodles are a marriage made in heaven . . . 

 

 

*Fried Cabbage with Bacon, Onions and Garlic*

Serves 4

Printable Recipe
 

Borrowed from a blog called CakesCottage.  Quick and easy and delicious.  I added a bit of something myself and I think my additions were fabulous, so do see the note at the bottom of the recipe. 

6 rashers of streaky bacon

1 large brown onion, peeled and diced

2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1 medium head of white cabbage, trimmed, cored and sliced

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

The following to taste:

salt, black pepper, onion and garlic powder, paprika

a knob of butter (optional) 

Heat a skillet and then cook the bacon rashers over medium heat until just crisp. remove and set aside on paper kitchen towelling to drain. Crumble and keep warm. 

Add the onion to the bacon drippings. (Over here our bacon is very lean so there wasn't many. If you find that is the case, add a small splash of olive or rapeseed oil.)  Cook, stirring to soften. when it begins to caramelize somewhat add the garlic.  Cook and stir until fragrant.  Add the cabbage.  Cook, tossing and stirring, until the cabbage begins to soften.  Season to taste with the seasonings.  Add 60ml (1/4 cup) of water and cover. Cook and steam over low heat until the cabbage has softened. Stir in the bacon crumbles.  Taste and adjust seasoning as required. If desired stir in a nob of butter. Serve hot.

 

 What I did:
The cabbage was very good on its own and my husband enjoyed.  Once I had served him his (as a side dish) I added a splash of dark soy sauce, a splash of mirin, about 1 TBS of hoisin sauce and a pack of Udon noodles, and tossed all together, heating it all through.  It was fabulous. Quite simply fabulous.  Nummo!