Cabbage

Cabbage, in French cookery, is always cooked for a relatively long time—often 4 or 5 hours—is, preferably, parboiled before being subjected to its final cooking process (which attenuates its often aggressive flavor and encourages its digestibility), is pared of the leaf ribs whenever possible, and, whether shredded, chopped, quartered, or stuffed—whole or each leaf individually—and is usually braised in stock or bouillon, often with lean salt pork (first parboiled to rid it of excessive salt), a bouquet garni, and aromatic vegetables (which always include carrots and onions), chopped or cut up and first cooked in fat—olive oil, pork, or goose. Red cabbage, usually coarsely shredded, is treated in the same way except that half of the stock is replaced by red wine; an apple, peeled, cored, and chopped, is usually added; and sometimes chestnuts are braised with it.