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Southerx Cabbage

A Southern cabbage dish simmered with sugar, vinegar, pepper, butter, and an egg.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
By Fayette (Mo.). Baptist Church, Ladies of the · From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 5 ingredients
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Why it works: Vinegar and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,814 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓

Southerx Cabbage

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Scald cabbage in salt water until tender.

  2. Drain the cabbage.

Make the cream sauce

  1. Cover the cabbage with cream.

  2. When the cream boils, sprinkle a tablespoon of flour.

  3. Stir in a well-beaten egg and two or three tablespoons of sugar.

  4. Add all the butter you can spare.

  5. Allow the mixture to boil for an instant after the Q^g is in.

Finish

  1. As you take it from the stove, pour in half a teacup of vinegar, more or less, according to strength, and a little pepper.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

58Calories
0 gProtein
0 gFat
14 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Vinegar1 tbsp (15ml) distilled3
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

By Fayette (Mo.). Baptist Church, Ladies of the. Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Vinegar + peppertop 14% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together27,814 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  2. Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together20,806 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

  3. Sugar + peppertop 32% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together19,401 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

Sugar and pepper barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 19,401 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cream (in the method)
Provides moisture and richness, forming the body of the sauce over the cabbage.
Egg (in the method)
Thickens the sauce as it heats and adds richness and structure.
Flour (in the method)
Thickens the cream so it coats the cabbage rather than running off.
Butter (in the method)
Adds fat and a rich, smooth mouthfeel to the sauce.
Sugar
Adds sweetness to balance the sharpness of the vinegar.
Vinegar
Adds acidity that cuts the richness of the cream and butter.

The step that matters

Boil the mixture only for an instant. A brief boil helps the egg and flour thicken the sauce. Boiling too long can curdle the egg and cream, leaving a grainy texture.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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