Hispi Cabbage

Hispi cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) — the pointed sweetheart cabbage that has become a fixture on restaurant menus for good reason. The conical head is compact and tightly layered, with pale green leaves that are thinner and more tender than a standard round cabbage, and a flavour that is noticeably sweeter and milder. Hispi is harvested young, before the leaves toughen, which is what gives it that characteristic softness at the heart.

This is the cabbage that changed how professional kitchens think about brassicas. Cut in half and roasted hard until deeply caramelised on the cut face, it becomes something entirely different from the boiled cabbage of memory — sweet, charred, substantial enough to hold the centre of a plate or stand as a proper side dish in its own right. The loose, pointed structure also makes it one of the easiest cabbages to work with: it quarters cleanly, shreds evenly, and cooks faster than denser round varieties. Equally good shredded raw into slaws, wilted quickly in a hot pan with butter and salt, or braised slowly in stock until completely soft.

Origin: United Kingdom

Ingredients: Hispi cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)

Storage: Refrigerate in the crisper drawer. Will keep for up to a week, though best used within a few days for optimum sweetness and texture.