Best In Season with Nicholas Balfe - May
Hispi cabbage with ‘butter chicken’ sauce
The first delivery of English asparagus has always felt like a big moment in the culinary calendar. It’s something I’ve felt in almost every kitchen I’ve worked in. Such an elegant vegetable; subtle yet complex in flavour, bursting with minerality.
Chef’s love a hispi cabbage, don’t they? But come on, they are so delicious sweet, have a wonderful crunchy texture - crisp but without the woody spines of a savoy or January King - and are actually incredibly versatile. We often the grill them over the BBQ, or steam then briefly sear and serve in wedges. I love them shredded and dressed in spicy, buttermilk-spiked mayo as a slaw. And don’t forget about simply roughly chopping them and saute-ing in butter. Sometimes the simplest idea wins!
But this recipe takes things a little further. The humble cabbage takes centre stage, and rightly so. Marinated in Tandori-spiced yoghurt, seared hard, finished over smoking coals; surrounded by a pool of silky, delicately spiced ‘butter chicken’ makhani-style sauce; adorned with a crown of vibrant green spring onions, herbs and almonds toasted in brown butter.
It’s a cabbage, but treated like a queen. And rightly so, in my opinion.
Seasonality and provenance
At this time of year, we’re starting to see more and more locally grown produce come through the door. Spring is in full tilt and the so called hungry gap feels like a thing of the past. At times we can barely keep up. We have a grower in nearby Merriot who seems to have a way with brassicas, and his spring cabbages, cauliflower and romanesco are all peeking right now. The hispi is particularly good (although this dish would work with any of the above) - It’s tight, sweet and tender, with natural sugars that respond well to high heat.
Veg taking centre stage
This is a dish built around contrast. You’ve got the charred, slightly smoky cabbage, the richness of the sauce and then freshness layered back in at the end.
The ‘butter chicken’ makhani sauce is a familiar reference point, but we’ve taken the chicken out of the equation. Instead, we build the sauce in the traditional way using chicken stock for depth (although that’s optional - this could easily be veggie or potentially plant based), then finish it with butter and a touch of cream before blending it until completely smooth.
It gives you all the comfort and recognition of the original, but allows the vegetable to take centre stage. The cabbage becomes the main event, rather than a side note.
Flavour and balance
The cabbage is marinated in a tandoori-spiced yoghurt, which does two things. It seasons the leaves all the way through and helps with caramelisation when it hits the pan.
From there, it’s seared hard to pick up colour, then finished over fire. That combination of direct heat and smoke is key. You get sweetness from the cabbage, a slight bitterness from the char and a gentle acidity from the yoghurt.
The makhani sauce brings richness and depth. Longman’s butter gives it body, while a Dorset yoghurt adds a subtle tang that stops it from feeling too heavy. It’s blended until silky, so it beneath in a truly majestic pool, deep in orange colour.
To finish, brown butter almonds add texture and nuttiness, while spring onion and coriander lift everything back up with freshness.
Technique
There are a few simple techniques doing most of the work here.
Marinating the cabbage is important to season from within. Give it time so the yoghurt and spices can penetrate, rather than just coating the outside.
Don’t be afraid of colour when searing. You want a deep, even caramelisation before it goes onto the barbecue. That’s where a lot of the flavour comes from.
The sauce is straightforward, but a little patience is required. Cook it down gently before blending, and add the dash of cream at the very end. This will help when emulsifying in the butter. The result should be a sauce that is so silky it could almost be regal.
Serving and application
This works well as a standalone dish or as part of a wider spread. It’s substantial enough to sit in the centre of the table, but also flexible.
In a workplace setting, it’s a good example of how to deliver something that feels generous and comforting without relying on meat as the focal point. It also holds well, which makes it practical for service.
You can scale it easily, adjust the spice level depending on your audience and swap in different brassicas as the seasons move on.
Why it matters
Dishes like this are a useful reminder that great cooking doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. It’s about understanding the ingredient, applying a few well-judged techniques and building flavour in layers.
Cabbage might not be the first thing people get excited about, but treated like this, it absolutely holds its own.
Hispi Cabbage with ‘Butter Chicken’ Makhani Sauce, Toasted Almonds & Herbs
Serves 4
Makhani Sauce
Ingredients
40g neutral oil
1 large onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
30g ginger, sliced
1 red chilli, sliced
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (use paprika if you can’t find this)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
250g good quality tomatoes (tinned or fresh)
300ml chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
100g butter
200g double cream
200g thick yoghurt
Salt
Method
Heat the oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and lightly coloured.
Add the garlic, ginger and chilli. Cook for 3–4 minutes until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato purée and cook out for 2–3 minutes.
Add the ground spices and whole spices. Cook briefly until aromatic.
Add the tomatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 25–30 minutes until reduced.
Blend until completely smooth, then pass if needed.
Return to a low heat. Add the cream, then emulsify in the butter.
Finish with the yoghurt and season to taste. The sauce should be silky and lightly spiced.
Tandoori Yoghurt Cabbage
Ingredients
2 hispi cabbages, halved or quartered lengthways
200g thick yoghurt
1 tbsp tandoori spice mix
2 cloves garlic, grated
A thumb sized piece ginger, grated
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp neutral oil
Salt
Method
Mix the yoghurt, tandoori spice, lemon juice, oil and salt.
Coat the cabbage thoroughly and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.
Heat a heavy pan until very hot. Sear the cabbage cut-side down until well coloured.
Transfer to a BBQ or grill and cook until tender with light charring and smoke.
Brown Butter Almonds
Ingredients
60g butter
60g flaked almonds
Salt
Method
Melt the butter in a small pan and cook until lightly browned and nutty.
Add the almonds and toast gently until golden.
Season lightly and set aside.
Service & Assembly
Have all elements ready. Build à la minute.
Plating
Spoon a generous pool of hot makhani sauce onto a warm plate.
Place the cabbage on top, cut side exposed.
Spoon over the brown butter almonds.
Finish with finely sliced spring onions and picked coriander.