Peas and cabbage or cabbage and peas?
I didn't inherit the recipe from my grandmother (I didn't know her; I was born after her death). My mother, who had inherited the tradition of making cabbage with mushrooms from her own home, didn't make it. My father, yes, recalled the taste, but couldn't say much more.
Ingredients · Servings > 6 people
- 400 g peas, soaked overnight in cold water
- a pinch of turmeric
- 1/3 teaspoon ground cumin
- a pinch of hot pepper, chili, cayenne
- sun
- a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
- 850 g sauerkraut
- a large pinch of marjoram (or even more than a pinch if you like it)
- 1 large onion, diced, sautéed in vegetable oil
- 1/3 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 bay leaf, 2 allspice grains
- freshly ground black pepper
- sun
- 3 heaped tablespoons of butter
- 1 flat tablespoon of sugar or honey
- optional – recommended! – 20 g dried bay boletes (soaked for 30 minutes in hot water, then cooked and finely chopped)
Method · 2 h
- Drain the soaked peas from the evening. Add the turmeric, drained peas, and cumin to 1/2 liter of boiling water and stir. Add the cayenne pepper, salt, and finally a dash of vinegar or balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook the peas, covered, over low heat until tender. Cover the pot and set aside to cool slightly (while cooking the cabbage). The peas should absorb all the cooking water.
- Squeeze out excess juice from the sauerkraut. If it's very sour, it's better to rinse it thoroughly in a sieve, or even boil it to remove the excess acid and drain. Chop it into smaller pieces on a board and place it in a large pot.
- Add 1/2 liter of boiling water and marjoram to the pot with the cabbage and stir. Add the sautéed onion, ground (or whole, if you prefer) cumin, and chopped (or blended) mushrooms and stir. Add a bay leaf, allspice, and freshly ground black pepper (about 1-2 pinches). Stir and lightly season with 1 teaspoon of rock salt.
- Cook the cabbage until tender, stirring occasionally. You can use a pressure cooker if you have one – I usually cook my sauerkraut in one to save time and energy.
- Add the cooked peas to the pot with the cabbage and mix thoroughly. If necessary, add 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water if the mixture is too thick. Add 3 generous tablespoons of butter and a tablespoon of sugar or runny honey, mix, and season with pepper and optional cayenne (a little to taste) and salt. The cabbage should be well seasoned, not bland, but mild in flavor, with a dominant marjoram flavor.
- Cook it over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally as it tends to burn.
