Recipe: fried cabbage with mango harissa salsa from the new book Mezcla
In Spanish, mezcla means something like mix or blend. It is used to describe music, art and dishes alike. In Mezcla, the first solo cookbook by Ixta Belfrage, who previously co-authored Ottolenghi’s cookbook Flavour, Ixta shares her favourite ‘mezcal’ of ingredients and flavours from the Brazilian, Mexican and English cuisines of her childhood. This fried cabbage with mango harissa salsa is such a delicious mezcla dish.
Ixta: “The mango harissa salsa steals the show here and is so easy to make. It goes with everything: grilled chicken, marinated tofu or grilled fish and prawns. Or use the cooled salsa as a base for a raw fish or prawn dish. For a quick weekday meal, serve the cabbage with fried eggs.”
How to make fried cabbage with mango harissa salsa
- Preheat the oven to 220 °C.
- Pull the leaves off the cabbage until you have 400 grams of bright green leaves (save the rest for another recipe). Cut the leaves in half through the rib, then halve them again. Put them in a large bowl with the salt flakes and oil and massage these into the cabbage. Spread the leaves out on a large baking sheet – they can overlap slightly because they will shrink in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes until the edges turn brown and crispy; toss halfway through.
- Make the salsa: pour the oil into a large sauté pan over medium-low heat and fry the garlic and chilli pepper with the salt for 6–7 minutes until the garlic is soft; stir frequently. The garlic should not brown, so lower the heat if necessary.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the harissa and tomato purée, followed by the mango and lemon juice.
- Spoon the salsa onto a flat plate and place the fried cabbage leaves on top. Squeeze the lemon over them and garnish with the jalapeño and herbs. Serve warm, with yoghurt if desired.
Title: Mezcla
Author: Ixta Belfrage
Price: €32,99
Publisher: Fontaine uitgevers
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- Recipe: sandwich with fried egg and tomato chilli salsa
