I remember this meal. It was a favorite of mine. Meat for us was not every day. Too expensive. My father had a garden and that was our mainstay. We had many bread and noodle-based meals, and this was a favorite of mine.
When I think about growing up Hungarian, I have specific food memories. I know every single culture on the planet has the comfort food of childhood. Noodles, dumplings, and pasta keep us alive. When made just right, they offer the most sublime, perfect mouthfeel and chew. It becomes a delicious meal on the planet. The wheat protein, with or without egg, makes a nutritious dish. Coated with a sauce or simple combination of ingredients makes it magical, it’s what memories are made of.
The ingredients are simple and inexpensive.
- 1 large head cabbage, cored and shredded
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 8oz oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound medium to large flat noodles, cooked
The secret to this simple dish is browning the onion and cabbage until it caramelizes.
There are thousands of recipes online, and nearly impossible to sort out the proper method of preparation. I’m relying on my taste memory to sort it out.
Brine the cabbage for a few hours tossed with kosher salt.
Soak and rinse a few times to remove excess salt.
Then begin cooking it down in oil.
Very low heat, tossing and stirring often to prevent burning.
Then caramelize the onions. I do them separately as they cook differently, and I tend to burn everything.
To finish, add salt and pepper. I like ALOT. Sometimes I’ll add a wee little splash of apple cider vinegar to cut the oil.
Enjoy,
Love Andie