1 day ago
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This menu is the perfect marriage of eastern European flavours and British seasonal produce. Cabbage, the hero vegetable in my kitchen, stars as the main dish, which is my take on Ashkenazi latkes. Presented here as the size of a rösti, it makes the perfect veggie centrepiece, and invokes the eastern European spirit of sharing. The side makes a perfectly creamy and zingy companion, showcasing the best of new season potatoes and carrots. Fresh, vibrant and full of colour, this duo is an edible herald of spring.
Giant cabbage, pea and spring onion latka (pictured top)
Prep 5 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 6-8
1 medium cabbage (roughly 800g)
1 small bunch of spring onions (4-6 onions), trimmed and finely chopped, both green and white parts
25g dill or more to taste, finely chopped, plus extra to serve, if you like
1 tbsp fine sea salt
100g frozen green peas
4 eggs
80g plain flour (4 heaped tbsp)
Olive oil
Soured cream, to serve (optional)
Remove and discard the outer leaves of the cabbage, but keep the core intact. Quarter and shred the cabbage into thin strips, using a mandoline, ideally, or as thinly and evenly as you can with a sharp knife. Put in a bowl with the spring onions and dill, and season with salt.
Put the peas in a sieve, defrost with boiling water, then drain and add to the cabbage bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add the flour, mixing vigorously to make a smooth batter. Pour this into the vegetable bowl and mix thoroughly until evenly incorporated.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick ovenproof frying pan, and swirl it around so it coats the sides of the pan, too.
Add the cabbage mixture (it should sizzle straight away), and press it down hard into the pan so it sits in an even layer. Cook on a high heat for eight minutes, until the bottom sets and caramelises. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, until the top of the latka is crisp and caramelised in places. Remove, leave in the pan to cool for five minutes, then run a rubber spatula or palette knife all around the edges to make sure the latka isn’t stuck. Carefully transfer the latka to a platter and decorate with fresh dill sprigs and dollops of soured cream, or the herby feta dip below.
Roast new potatoes and carrots with whipped herbed feta
Prep 5 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 6-8
400-600g new potatoes
200-400g young carrots
30ml olive oil
Sea saltFor the whipped feta
200g feta
100g full-fat creme fraiche
15g dill
15g parsley
4 sprigs fresh mint, leaves picked
To serve
Dill, parsley and mint leaves
Chilli flakes
Sea salt
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
Wash the potatoes and carrots, then cut them all in half lengthways. Put on two baking trays, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, then toss to coat. Evenly space out the potatoes and carrots, then bake in a 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 oven for 45-50 minutes, until tender.
Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the whipped feta sauce in a food processor and blend for 20-30 seconds, until smooth.
To serve, smother the feta sauce over a large plate and scatter around the potatoes and carrots. Decorate with fresh herbs, chilli flakes, a pinch of salt and the lemon zest, and serve.
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Kapusta, by Alissa Timoshkina, is published by Hardie Grant Books at £28. To order a copy for £25.20, visit guardianbookshop.com
