To Boil Sprouts, Cabbages, Savoys, Lettuces, or Endive
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Bring a large pot of salted water to a fast boil.
If desired, add a small amount of carbonate of soda.
Wash the vegetables thoroughly before boiling.
For savoys, large lettuces, and cabbages, soak in salt water for 30 minutes to draw out insects.
Remove decayed leaves and cut the stems off the vegetables. Halve or quarter the vegetables before boiling.
Boil and serve
Boil very young greens for 15 to 20 minutes, lettuces for 20 to 30 minutes, and large savoys or cabbages for 1 hour or more.
Check if the stalk is tender to know when they are ready to serve.
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.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Sprouts, cabbages, savoys, lettuces, or endive
- The main vegetable; boiling softens the leaves and stalks until they are tender enough to eat.
- Carbonate of soda
- Optional addition that can help keep the green color bright during boiling.
The step that matters
Boil in a fast, rolling boil with plenty of water. A large volume of vigorously boiling salted water returns to a boil quickly after the greens go in, so cooking stays fast and the greens keep a bright color. Cooking times depend on the vegetable, so checking stalk tenderness matters.
“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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