Turkey season starts at the end of April in most New England states. Having been bit hard by the hunting bug, I’ve been preparing for my first real turkey season as a hunter1 by listening to every episode of the Roost podcast2 in attempt to cram all the knowledge I can into my brain and walk out of the month-long window with at least one bird.
The other morning I was listening to an episode featuring Jesse Griffiths, who is a chef and accomplished hunter3. In it, Jesse and the host, Ben O’Brien4, are discussing cooking turkey. Ben mentions that growing up, his dad would exclusively fry the turkey tenderloins and Jesse says there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, he says that’s the best preparation for turkey, at least in his mind. He goes on to make the analogy to catfish. He’ll often have people say to him that they love to eat catfish — but then whisper that they “only really like it fried.”
One might think that for an award-winning chef like Jesse, that would be like speaking blasphemy. Surely a James Beard-award winning cookbook author would have countless sophisticated preparations for catfish, ones that would put a simple beer-battering to shame. But, he doesn’t — the best way to prepare catfish is to fry it and enjoy it. To try and force it down any other way is a disservice to the animal and to whomever you are serving it.
Hearing this conversation, I couldn’t help but think back to last summer, where after a day of fishing — hoping for fluke, flounder, or maybe even stripers — we ended up with a handful of bluefish5. Not wanting to waste an opportunity for fresh fish, I brought the fish home —against the vocal efforts of the rest of the crew. Their reasoning for objecting? No one likes to eat bluefish!
I can understand that sentiment. Bluefish can be fishy, it’s oily, and has a reputation as an unapproachable fish. Despite everyone’s trepidation, however, after a quick brine in buttermilk and a beer-battering, almost to a person, everyone agreed that the bluefish was really quite terrific. All it took was the right preparation.
I think this concept — pairing the right ingredients with the right preparation — is the key to enjoying a wide variety of foods and the key to radical eating6. Anything prepared correctly should taste good. You may have the preconceived notion that you’re not going to like something, you may just need to shift your preparation. The “gaminess” of venison might scare you from trying it7 — but have you given venison sausage a shot? Maybe you’re worried that rabbit is too out there for your tastes — but prepared correctly, I bet you wouldn’t be able to differentiate it from chicken thighs.
As we head into the summer, where opportunities for fresh produce abound8, keep an open mind for what you pick up. When you see kohlrabi or celeriac in your farmshare, at the farmer’s market — or yes, even at the grocery store — don’t dismiss it out of hand; instead, see if you can find a preparation that works for you and for the ingredient. I guarantee it’s out there. And, once you open that door, you’ll find that the world is wide-open from there.
With that in mind, we’re going to make something so ridiculously easy that you might think I’m kidding: we’re roasting cabbage. Cabbage is, of course, the perennial underdog to such heavy-hitting brassicas as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, and collard greens9. It lacks a certain je ne sais quoi and often evokes memories (real or imagined) of boiled cabbage and cabbage stew: it isn’t sexy.
But, if you throw a head of cabbage in a hot oven for a few hours, letting it roast within itself, then take it out, slice it, and pan-fry it in some butter — oh baby, have you got something worth eating10.
Let’s give it a shot.
Find a nice sized cabbage… red or green, it doesn’t matter. Toss it in a hot oven (+/- 400(F)) for at least an hour, preferably two, until it’s tender, then slice it in half and sear it in hot, buttered, cast iron pan.
Slice and serve as a side to almost anything.
There we have it, roasted cabbage. About as easy as you could possible hope for — even new reader Cheffy11 might be able to put together. Just don’t forget the cabbage is in there.
With that I’ll leave you to your weekends. Spring finally, finally feels like it’s springing here, with flowers blooming and trees budding. It’s so easy to forget how wonderful this can be after a dreary, grey winter. Might as well get outside and make the most of it!
I read somewhere that until you actually kill an animal, you have to refer to yourself as a “hunter” — not a hunter. Whether this is true or not, last spring when I ventured out to bag a bird, I was certainly not in the least way setting myself up for success. I’m hoping this year to rectify that lack of knowledge as best I can.
The Roost team are unabashed shotgun hunters and do a fair amount of disparagement of those who target birds with archery equipment. Nevertheless, the information on the podcast is priceless for someone who is coming into this ignorant as a lamb.
He wrote The Hog Book, which I’ve referenced before as the preeminent guide to wild hogs and just released The Turkey Book which might be even better — and, as you might imagine, focuses solely on turkey.
Whose podcasts — both Roost and Woodside — are tremendous resources for what he calls “emerging hunters” like myself.
Caught, mind you, by Mrs. and the Aunties CWD — Uncle Steady, Papa, and I didn’t even hook onto anything for the full 6 hours.
In truth, venison is no more gamey than lamb in my mind — and that of others I’ve made choke it down.
To say nothing of the abundance of seafood Uncle Steady and I will be spearing from the ocean!
At least in our house.
This is where, if this were the Roost podcast, Ben would be making some “sexy turkey sounds” and making everyone listening uncomfortable.
Though perhaps inappropriately named, given his aversion to actually cooking.
Sorry--I had to create a "handle" and have no idea what THAT is. Do I have to remember the numbers? ....Too late.
And guess what? I almost always have a head of cabbage in my refrigerator! Now I will try your recipe, but I love to make homemade coleslaw on a whim, wrap chicken thighs in cabbage before I bake them, make stuffed cabbage with ground turkey or beef, cut up chunks to eat raw with salt and pepper as snack, add to salads and stir-frys, sauté it with chick peas and combine with bowtie noodles, or simply look in my refrigerator and see I have a whole or half cabbage and dream of the endless possibilities! I always buys white cabbage because I think it has a better consistency and taste, but I think I'll be daring and buy a red cabbage this week!
I love you, and can't wait to try your recipe!