Sunday, December 5, 2021

Haluski-With Firm Cabbage


How many festivals or fish fries have you gone to and the haluski is nothing but, scorched butter with soggy noodles and cabbage? Usually there is way too much butter and it's just a spoonful of garbage. Brown in haluski means the butter has been scorched. I think there is a misconception about noodle entrees for some people who take on big events and have never really cooked. They think this can't be screwed up!

Ingredients

Regular size head of cabbage. Savoy is best. **A regular size cabbage not the ones the size of your head
Bag of Egg noodles
1/2 pound of salted butter or more to liking.
Yellow onions. Amount to liking.
SaltnPepper

Here we go..

The cabbage- Many of us were taught to cook it down in the butter. You can but, it's not going to be firm and basicly the dish tastes like noodle and butter. 

What you can do...Core the cabbage. Savoy cabbage is sweeter and is a first choice if available. Set the core side down in boiling salted water with lid and steam cabbage. This is only going to take like 5 minutes depending on size. It will green up. You don't want to cook it. Just steam so it should still have firmness. You may also add chopped onion into the pot to bring out more flavor. When done fish out of the water. Let cool. Don't throw the water out!

The Noodles- I use No Yolk egg noodles. I like the broad too. Use whatever you like. Add noodles to cabbage water. You may need to add more water. Cook but, leave some firmness. Al dente. If you cook too much then it will get soggy when adding butter or plan to put on a warmer or leave in a pot for awhile. 

**If you plan a big batch for a warmer then really think about a little harder than al dente because the steam from the warmer will keep cooking it and better watch temp or you will have scorched butter.

While the noodles are cooking, chop your cabbage. Think bite size. People don't want to cut up haluski. Don't go smaller because it will just get lost in the noodles and end up at the bottom. You want to see and taste the cabbage.

Final Step

Strain noodles. Add butter to your pot. Make sure stove is set to low. I use about a half  pound butter for a pound of noodles and honestly that is probably not enough butter for some so you judge it. Add your onions and cabbage to the melted butter. Flip around and then fold in noodles. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Add more butter if you feel it's not coated enough. Butter should'nt be dripping down people's faces. Leave on stove with lid on to let it all soak in. I would turn stove off and reheat when ready. This dish always tastes better later or the next day. Everything needs to marinate. Enjoy!