Cabbage with juniper recipe | Good Food

Cabbage with juniper

2 tsp juniper berry
3 tbsp gin
100ml whole milk
preferably Channel Island
1large green cabbage
1large leek
(or 2 small ones), trimmed
50g unsalted butter
1scant tsp Marigold Swiss vegetable bouillon powder
6heaped tbsp full-fat fromage frais
(about 200g/8oz)

Method

step 1
Crush the juniper berries thoroughly using a pestle and mortar (or bash with a rolling pin, in a sealed plastic bag). Tip into a pan with the gin and milk and put over a high heat. Bring to the boil and bubble for 3 minutes, stirring now and again. Remove from heat, season with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
step 2
Discard the tatty outer leaves of the cabbage, then cut it into eighths. Cut out and discard the hard core from each wedge then slice crossways into ruler-wide strips. Halve the leek lengthways, then cut into 1cm/½in wide chunks. Tip the vegetables into a colander and rinse with water.
step 3
Put the butter into a very large pan or wok and add the vegetables, plus residual water. Sprinkle on the bouillon powder and season well. Cover the pan and sit over a medium heat.
step 4
Leave the lid on for the first 6 minutes but remove every 2 minutes to toss the cabbage. Remove the lid and cook and toss the cabbage for 4-6 minutes more. Tip into a colander and drain well. Return to the pan and keep warm.
step 5
Replace the small pan over a low heat, whisk in the fromage frais and season with black pepper. Gently warm the sauce (it will split if you boil it), then pour over the cabbage and toss.