Cabbage With Spiced Rum Butter and Scallions

By Ashley Lonsdale

Published Jan. 9, 2025

Cabbage With Spiced Rum Butter and Scallions
Ghazalle Badiozamani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(37)
Comments
Read comments

Steamed cabbage is easily the unsung hero of any Jamaican takeout container. This recipe mimics the well-seasoned Caribbean side dish with a few additions and subtractions. Regardless of its edits, this particular steamed cabbage is a top choice to nestle next to rice and peas, brown stew chicken, fried plantains or all three. A spiced butter enriched with rum adds a few extra layers of flavor, and an entire bunch of scallions, along with onion and garlic, provide plenty of savory allium notes. Instead of including a more typical blend of carrots, bell peppers and other vegetables, the cabbage takes center stage as the star of the dish. Steaming the cabbage with the least amount of added moisture takes some attention and monitoring, but the concentrated flavors are worth the effort.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 1bunch scallions, trimmed
  • ¼cup unsalted butter
  • 1(1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely minced or grated
  • ½teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1large yellow onion, sliced
  • ½Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, halved, deseeded and thinly sliced
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼cup white rum 
  • 1teaspoon honey
  • 3fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1medium head green cabbage (2 to 2½ pounds), cored and roughly chopped
  • 2teaspoons white vinegar, plus more if needed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

119 calories; 6 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 426 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut the scallions into 1-inch pieces, separating the sturdier white and light green parts from the dark green tops.

  2. Step 2

    Melt the butter in a large lidded pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the ginger and allspice and stir for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the onion, white and light green pieces of scallions, and Scotch bonnet to the pot and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens slightly.

  3. Step 3

    Add the rum, honey and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, until reduced to a glossy consistency.

  4. Step 4

    Add the cabbage and toss well with the spiced rum butter. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently to evenly cook the cabbage and prevent any burning, until thinner cabbage leaves are tender, thicker parts are tender-crisp, and the onion is sweet and soft.

  5. Step 5

    Stir in the dark green scallion pieces until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper or more vinegar, if necessary.

Ratings

4 out of 5
37 user ratings
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Comments

Su

This sort of dish doesn't usually include rum; that's the "extra" innovation that this chef is adding to make a conventional dish their own thing. You can just omit the rum, if you don't want to use it! If other alcohol might be fine, I'd use an equal measure of dry vermouth or white or rose wine. Otherwise, a splash of water or apple juice will help the honey melt into the onions.

BJ

I wonder if I can use crushed red pepper or cayenne instead of a chili. I will cook the cabbage in the microwave so that it has less chance of burning and use oil instead of butter so the dish will be vegan. I've been craving cabbage lately, so thanks, NYT Cooking.

John

@Lisa .... that is what brown spices in a mostly clear liquid will do. obviously once you add onion, green onion, and cabbage, it is not quite so brown.

John

Okay, so where's the garlic in this?

Lisa

The butter mixed with the allspice and ginger turned a murky brown that looked very unappetizing.

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