Jackson Boxer’s recipe for sauteed cabbage with cheese cream and sunflower seeds

Chef Jackson Boxer has shared a recipe for sauteed cabbage with cheese cream and sunflower seeds that highlights the sweet and pliant qualities of hispi cabbage. This dish provides the satisfaction of a hearty bowl of pasta while remaining lighter, making it ideal as a side dish alongside grilled mushrooms or toasted whole grains. The preparation takes 15 minutes, with a 30-minute cooking time plus cooling, and serves four people.

For the cream, you will need 150g egg yolks, 45g lemon juice, 5g minced garlic, 10g sherry vinegar, 75g mature farmhouse cheddar or vegetarian parmesan, 2g flaky sea salt, 250g melted unsalted butter, 250ml extra-virgin olive oil, and 250g creme fraiche. The cabbage component requires 1kg hispi cabbage, 100ml extra-virgin olive oil, 10g flaky sea salt, 20g chardonnay vinegar, and black pepper, minced chives, and optional smoked chilli flakes to finish. The sunflower seeds mixture uses 100g sunflower seeds, 15g white soy sauce, and 10g white sugar.

To prepare the cream, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, cheese, and salt in a steel bowl placed over simmering water, whisking constantly until the mixture reaches 75C. Slowly whisk in the butter, oil, and creme fraiche to create a smooth emulsion, then cover and allow it to cool to room temperature. For the cabbage, coat the ribbons in olive oil and saute in small batches in a smoking hot pan until coloured, then spread on trays to cool before dressing with salt and vinegar.

The sunflower seeds should be stirred in a bowl with soy and sugar, left for 10 minutes, then spread on a tray and toasted in an oven at 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 for five minutes. Mix the seeds, roast for another five minutes, stir again, and roast for a final three minutes until evenly brown before cooling. To serve, portion the cabbage, spoon over the gently warmed cheese cream, and garnish with the seeds, black pepper, chives, and optional smoked chilli flakes. Jackson Boxer is the chef and owner of Brunswick House, Vesper and Dove in London, and the culinary director of Cowley Manor near Cheltenham and the Henrietta in London.