To Boil Sprouts, Cabbages, Savoys, Lettuces, or Endive
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash endive, sprouts, and spring greens thoroughly before boiling.
Soak savoys, large lettuces, and close-leaved cabbages in salt water for at least 30 minutes to remove insects.
Trim the stems, remove decayed leaves, and cut the vegetables into halves or quarters.
Boil
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil.
Add a small amount of baking soda to the water.
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 for doneness by ensuring the stalk is tender.
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
- Baking soda
- Raises the water's alkalinity, which helps greens keep a bright green color while boiling.
The step that matters
Checking doneness by the stalk. Leaves cook faster than thick stalks, so a leaf can look done while the stalk is still firm. Testing the stalk ensures the thickest part is tender, since timing alone varies with size and type of vegetable.
“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.
You might also like
Green Corn Pudding64 recipes
Cornmeal mush12 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.