New York Times Sausage and Cabbage

I first posted this recipe over 2 years ago, but am re-posting it now simply because cabbage is a great, long-lasting and versatile vegetable to have on hand during a pandemic. For those of you who think you don't (or won't) like cooked cabbage, I suggest you try this one-pot wonder.

It smells great while cooking, and it's sort of like eating deconstructed cabbage rolls . Although the recipe makes a large amount of food,  I'm not sure that it's dinner party material. Let's face it, you're not hosting dinner parties anyway. You can always place some of the excess on your neighbour's doorstep for them to try.

It's a rustic dish, very rustic. 

Ingredients: 

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 pounds fresh sweet Italian pork sausages or bulk sausage
• 1 large green or Savoy cabbage, about 4 pounds, cored and chopped roughly
• Freshly ground black pepper and salt

Methods:
Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter a large baking dish or Dutch Oven. If using sausages, remove and discard the casings.

Put about 1/3 of the cabbage in the buttered dish and cover with bite-sized bits of about half the meat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dot with butter. Repeat, ending with a final layer of cabbage, and dot the top with butter.

Cover the dish tightly with a layer of parchment paper, then top it with a lid or a layer of aluminum foil. If you are using a Dutch Oven, simply pop the lid on before placing it in the oven.Cook for about 2 1/2 hours, until the cabbage is soft and sweet, and the top is lightly browned. After 2 hours, uncover the dish. If there is a lot of liquid in the bottom, leave it uncovered for the rest of the cooking time. If not, re-cover and finish cooking. Serve with crusty bread.