There is always something to tell about cabbage, because it was a revered ingredient in salads by the ancient Romans, and in Russian cuisine there are a lot of recipes for instant cabbage for ten centuries. Only, here, a dish called "Provencal cabbage" raises questions: is it cabbage under mayonnaise with the same brand name, but without the characteristic flavor of Provencal cuisine, a special way to cook cabbage, a Russian or French dish?
The mention of Provence, in any case, sounds tempting, and, considering that the Mediterranean cuisine is at the peak of popularity now, let's try to figure out how to combine ordinary white cabbage - a favorite vegetable in Russian cuisine, with the best traditions of French culinary specialists.
Instant Provence Cabbage Recipes - Basic Technological Principles
It is difficult to understand the nuances of the Provencal cabbage recipe without understanding the features of Provencal cuisine. Cabbage "Provence" is far from the first case when the secrets of French chefs quickly and very organically pass into Russian cuisine. Cabbage in combination with Provencal herbs or sauces is a completely Russian dish, but also in Provence, if white cabbage were grown there, such a salad could become a favorite dish.
Options for its preparation can be completely different in terms of cooking, selection of ingredients, but the unifying detail of all cabbage dishes is Provencal herbs:
Oregano
Marjoram
Thyme ("Bogorodskaya grass")
Rosemary
Basil
Sage
Mint
Savory (condary).
Provencal cuisine is easy to prepare, similar to Russian home cooking. But the classic set of spicy herbs immediately indicates that the cook in his culinary work wanted to tell either about the south of France, or about the north of Italy, where thyme, rosemary, basil and marjoram are present in almost every dish, creating a Mediterranean mood. By the way, peppermint, savory (do not confuse with thyme!), Sage, peppermint are favorite spices in ancient Russian cuisine, but we used them more often for making drinks.
First conclusion: if the name of the dish contains the word "Provence", then its composition must include Provencal herbs.
To make the dish really reminiscent of the Provence cuisine, it is better to use not ground spices in beautiful bags, but dried herbs that you can easily grow in the country house, or on the windowsill. In extreme cases, ready-made healing herbs can be purchased at the pharmacy: the technology for their preparation in the pharmaceutical industry is more serious, and therefore the aroma is more pronounced.
Passion for Mediterranean dishes may well be explained by the healing properties of these herbs, the use of fresh seasonal vegetables, which, of course, gives the dishes not only a pleasant fresh taste, but also benefit. If we talk about instant cabbage recipes, it is obvious that these are salads from fresh seasonal vegetables, which require careful processing, in order to preserve vitamins, and immediate use.
The difference between the Provencal quick recipe for making cabbage (even Brussels sprouts) and Russian recipes is in the method of preparation. Cabbage in Russian, as a rule, is crumpled, kept in its own juice for pickling, or consumed fresh. Provencal dishes of fresh vegetables do not ferment, but marinate, even trying to mix salads carefully so as not to mash the vegetables, preserving their freshness.
Note that, common for Russian cuisine, there is no white cabbage in Provencal and, in general, Mediterranean cuisine. Therefore, the conclusion suggests itself: the Provencal cabbage recipe is an invention of Russian housewives who dream of finding themselves in the warm climate of the Mediterranean. All vegetable dishes of the Mediterranean cuisine look a little exotic due to the fact that we do not grow olives, and leafy greens are not available in any season, and eggplant - southern vegetables. A set of peppers, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage and herbs is quite in line with the spirit of Provencal cuisine, if you add dressing from garlic, olive oil and dried herbs to these components.
Another feature worth paying attention to is Provencal cuisine sauces. The fact is that the Provence mayonnaise, which is filled with the shelves of all food outlets, has nothing to do with Provencal taste, although it is based on olive oil and yolks, as the manufacturer claims. The same ingredients are the main ones in Provencal aioli sauce, but with one small and very significant difference: the composition of Provence sauce necessarily includes a light garlic aroma, Provencal herbs, parsley, and spices. Be sure to pay attention to this when you want to cook cabbage in the Provencal style.
Aioli is a versatile sauce that goes well with fish and seafood, meat, vegetable dishes, and real Provence sauces are so interesting that they can be used as an independent snack spread on bread. But about Provence sauces, in more detail - next time, but for now - quick recipes for "Provencal cabbage", in Russian.
Provencal cabbage instant recipe
Ingredients:
Cabbage 0.5 kg
Carrot 100 g
Olive oil 50 ml
Sugar 20 g
Salt to taste
Provencal herbs (mixture)
Lemon juice 75 ml
Garlic 10 g
Green onion, parsley 100 g
Cooking:
Chop cabbage and carrots, chop finely garlic and fresh herbs. Combine the vegetables, mix, trying not to mash them. Make a dressing of vegetable oil, lemon juice, add sugar and salt, fresh or dried herbs to it. If desired, you can add chopped nuts, a mixture of ground peppers. Stir the salad, cover the container with a lid or foil, for 5-10 minutes, soak in the refrigerator, and serve.
Instant Recipe: Cabbage, Apple and Cheese Salad with Provencal Sauce
Ingredients:
Cabbage
Apples (winter varieties, sweet and sour)
Carrot
Hard cheese
Lemon
Mixture of peppers
Aioli sauce
Salt to taste
For decoration - boiled eggs, parsley
Cooking:
Choose the number of main ingredients for the salad at random. Chop and chop into thin strips cabbage, apples, carrots and cheese. Sprinkle apples with lemon juice. Cut the eggs into slices or slices.
The salad can be layered in a large transparent salad bowl or served in portions, in the form of a cocktail, also laying it in a glass bowl. Garnish with thin slices of boiled eggs, leaves of fresh parsley.
To the finished sauce, add spices to taste, lemon juice, mix. It can be served separately or added to the dish before serving.
Provence instant recipe of cabbage, pepper and tomato with Provencal herbs
Ingredients:
Beijing cabbage 300 g
Cherry (red and yellow) 5-7 pcs.
Lettuce (green, orange) 2 pcs.
Orange 1 pc.
Olives 100 g
Vegetable oil 80 ml
Basil, Parsley
Pine nuts 50 g
Mix of provencal herbs, ground pepper - to taste
Cooking:
Cut the pepper into cubes, olives (pitted) with transverse plates, cherry slices. Chop the cabbage into strips, having previously removed the thick stems. Remove the zest from the orange, peel and cut the pulp into cubes.
Combine all the ingredients in a deep salad bowl, mix gently, being careful not to mash the vegetables. Season with herbs, olive oil, ground black pepper.
Instant cabbage recipe - "Provence" in Russian
The recipe for this salad is beloved and well-known, but its taste can become completely unrecognizable, thanks to Provencal herbs and a "twist".
Ingredients:
Fresh cucumber 200 g
Young (or Beijing) cabbage 300 g
Parsley 120 g
Olive oil 50 ml
Garlic 15 g
Provencal herbs (dry mix) 30 g
Dry wine, white 70 ml
Grapes (white nutmeg) 150 g
Cooking:
Combine wine, olive oil, minced garlic and a spicy mixture. Mix well, let it brew, so that the aroma of herbs is better combined with oil. You can pour the dressing into a jar, cover, and slightly warm up for a couple. Cool the mixture without opening the lid.
Tear the parsley, cabbage leaves with your hands, cut the cucumber into thin slices. Add grapes to the salad. Stir and season.
Provencal cabbage instant recipe with carrots
Ingredients:
White cabbage 400 g
Red carrot 150 g
Apple cider vinegar 70 ml
Vegetable oil 80 ml
Pepper
Sugar
Salt
Spicy herbs, Provence 30 g
Garlic 15 g
Cooking:
Chop carrots and cabbage thinly. Make a sweet and sour dressing by combining the butter with sugar, pepper, salt and a mixture of herbs. Pour the salad, mix and let it brew for about twenty minutes, covering the salad bowl with a film. When serving, garnish with fresh parsley.
Instant Recipe - Provence Red Cabbage with Canned String Beans and Tuna
Ingredients:
Leek 90 g
Asparagus Beans 120 g
Red cabbage 200 g
Mayonnaise 60 g
Lemon juice 80 ml
Garlic
Provencal herbs
Tuna in its own juice 300 g
Ground pepper
Cooking:
Break the canned fish into pieces, Throw the asparagus through a colander. Chop cabbage thinly, leek. Combine all the components of the salad. Add garlic, lemon juice (you can also add fresh zest), ground pepper and Provencal mixture to mayonnaise. Stir the sauce and season the salad before serving.
Quick Recipes: Provence Cabbage - Useful Cooking Tips
To prepare salads from fresh vegetables, choose summer and autumn varieties of cabbage: its leaves are more juicy, contain less coarse fiber.
Salt, sugar and acidic ingredients accelerate the release of vegetable juice. Therefore, add the sauce or dressing to the salad immediately before serving - this will preserve the fresh look of the dish.
To make the dressing more aromatic, make a workpiece: put fresh herbs in the purified oil, grind them beforehand, warm the oil, refrigerate without opening the bottle or jar, and put the container in a dark place. After a couple of months, strain the oil, and use to prepare any dishes. Fragrant oil will decorate salads from fresh vegetables.
