Cabbage is an underrated vegetable and can take many forms, textures, and showcase various flavors. This Charred Cabbage with Anchovy Brown Butter recipe is quick and easy and one of the best parts is that it doesn’t use much kitchen equipment. It can be served as an appetizer where cabbage takes the center stage or it can be a meaty side that complements a lighter protein.

Charred cabbage with anchovy brown butter on shared plates.

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Why You Will Love This Recipe

This recipe showcases the versatility of this ingredient. The caramelization of the cabbage brings out the sweetness, the anchovy brown butter enhances its depth of flavor with savory umami notes, and the lemon and herbs balances every bite with acidity and freshness. It's very easy to make this simple ingredient taste so complex, and it will surely make your guests go in for seconds! I personally like serving this roasted cabbage a side dish.

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Why You Will Love This Recipe
Ingredients
How to Make this Recipe
Storage and Reheating Tips
Variations
Charred Cabbage with Anchovy Butter

Ingredients

Cabbage: You may also use red cabbage. I like to use green cabbage for this recipe and use a smaller sized one so that one wedge will be a nice sized portion per person.
Spices: I like to marinade the cabbage in paprika to enhance the smoky flavor and coriander to balance it with a citrusy floral essence.
Lemon juice: Squeeze half a lemon lemon for a punch of acid to balance the umami richness.
Herbs: I like to use dill and chives but if you have parsley and scallions, that would work perfectly. Any leafy herb and a mild allium.
Butter: We’ll need 5 tablespoons of butter to make into brown butter.
Anchovy Fillets: Take 5 anchovy fillets from a tin and chop them finely almost like a paste. Anchovy paste could work well here too.
Olive Oil: Use about 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil to coat the wedges. You might need more depending on how big your pieces are.

How to Make this Recipe

Preheat oven to 400 F.

cabbage cut into wedges. — 2. Prepping the cabbage - Remove the first one or two layered wilted layers of the cabbage. Cut it down the middle through the core to keep the pieces intact, then cut into wedges. The number of wedges will depend on the size of your cabbage but if you pick a small cabbage you can have as many as 8 small pieces.

wedges with seasoning — 3. Add the pieces of cabbage on a sheet pan and drizzle each piece with olive oil, then season each chunk with paprika, coriander, salt and pepper on both sides.

roasted wedges from the oven. — 4. Let them cook in the oven on the lowest rack undisturbed for 25 minutes. They should be nicely charred on one side. Then while using a flat spatula or tongs, flip each piece and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until fork tender.

anchovy brown butter. — 5. While the cabbage is in the oven, make the brown butter anchovy by melting the butter in a saucepan on medium heat until it’s browned for about 5-7 minutes, then add the chopped anchovies and mix until it’s mostly dissolved.

6. Take the cabbage out of the oven and place on a serving plate. Pour over the brown butter and squeeze some lemon juice on each piece. Top with the chives and dill. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Storage and Reheating Tips

Store in an airtight container and keep for 4 days. Reheat in the microwave and top with extra herbs if you have leftovers.

Variations

Change up the herbs: Using leafy herbs such as parsley, basil, mint.
Use a different cabbage: You can use Napa cabbage or red cabbage.
Make it vegetarian: You can omit the anchovies and just brown the butter. Or if you have white miso lying around, add a teaspoon of it to make it a roasted cabbage with miso brown butter instead.