Savoy cabbage and chestnut vegetables

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 small head of savoy cabbage
• 1 large onion(s)
• 1 large apple (Boskop, Santana, Cox Orange)
• 100 g chestnuts (sweet chestnuts), freshly picked or packaged (pre-cooked)
• 200 ml vegetable stock
• 150 ml cream
• 1 tsp mustard seeds, whole, brown
• 1 tsp onion seeds, whole, black
• ½ tsp caraway powder
• e.g. maple syrup, agave syrup or honey, to taste
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• n. B. Salt, to taste
• n. B. Pepper, freshly ground, to taste
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
• 600 g potatoes

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

oriental spiced

Peel the potatoes (or boil them with the skin on), place them in cold water with salt, and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on their size. Wash the savoy cabbage, halve the head, and cut out the stalks into wedges. Cut the rest into strips (between 1 and 2 cm wide). Peel and roughly dice the onions. Peel freshly picked chestnuts, including the skins if you don’t like their bitter taste. Boil the skinned chestnuts in hot water for a few minutes, rinse well, peel, and then finely chop. Heat a large pan (be careful with non-stick pans; they don’t respond well to this process). When it’s hot, add the oil and, after a few seconds, lightly toast the mustard seeds and onion seeds while stirring. As soon as the mustard seeds pop and burst, reduce the heat, add the caraway seeds, and heat briefly (just a few seconds, otherwise they’ll burn). Then add the onions and sauté until translucent. Next, add the savoy cabbage, sauté for a few minutes, deglaze with the vegetable stock, cover, and reduce the heat. While the savoy cabbage is simmering, peel the apples (if they’re organic, you can eat the skin), quarter them, and slice them. After about 10 minutes, add the apples and chopped chestnuts, remove the lid, and increase the heat again so the liquid can evaporate slightly. Let everything simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Then pour in the cream and season with maple syrup (my favorite), balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. If you like a creamy consistency, simmer just enough liquid until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Serve with potatoes and perhaps a splash of white wine. I usually cook by the skin; the quantities given here are estimates and can be adjusted to your liking.