Roasted Cabbage with Supeq Dressing

Serves 4.

Roasting cabbage draws out its sweetness and tames its sulfurous notes. We’ve paired it with homemade mayonnaise dressing seasoned with Supeq Spice, our salt blend that celebrates the wild flavors of our New England coast — think foraged mushrooms, nettles, and seaweed.

Notes: While any black pepper works in this recipe, we recommend using black Kampot pepper because its hint of juniper complements both the cabbage and the umami-rich Supeq Spice. Serve the cabbage hot as a side or room temperature in place of a salad.

For the cabbage:
1 head (2–3 pounds) green cabbage
1½ tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and black Kampot pepper
Fresh lemon juice (a few drops, to finish)

For the mayonnaise:
1 egg
¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon freshly grated garlic (from 1 clove)
¾ cup canola or other neutral tasting oil
4 teaspoons Supeq Spice

For garnish:
Sliced scallion or minced chives or parsley

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Set aside a rimmed baking sheet.

Prep and roast the cabbage  Remove any tough or discolored outer leaves on the cabbage, then cut the head in half, top-to-bottom, through the stem. Cut one half into 4 wedges, trim (but don’t remove) the stem on each wedge. Save the other half cabbage for another use.

Set the cabbage wedges on the baking sheet and brush them (all sides) with oil. Arrange the wedges cut-side down on the sheet, making sure they’re well separated from each other. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the cabbage, to taste. Roast for 10 minutes. Pull the baking sheet out of the oven, gently flip the wedges over and return the sheet to the oven, roasting until the edges of the cabbage are browned and crispy, another 10 –12 minutes. Sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice over the wedges.

Make the dressing  You’ll need an immersion blender and a clean jar with a diameter that just barely bigger than the head of the blender. Put egg, mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, and garlic into the jar; pour in the oil and let it stand for 30 seconds to settle. Submerge the blender into the jar with the head resting squarely on the bottom. Set the blender to high speed and process without moving the blender — you’ll feel it pull against the bot- tom, which is good, that vortex is crucial — and you’ll see the mayo starting to form. At this point, slowly start to slowly tilt the blender and lift it toward the surface of the mayo. Stop when all the oil has been incorporated. Stir in the Supeq Spice, taste the mayo, and add more lemon juice if needed.

Serve  Put one wedge of cabbage on a small plate, top with a generous spoonful of mayo and sprinkle on a few scallions or some herbs (or both!).

Notes: The mayo recipe is adapted from Kenji Lopez-Alt’s genius recipe, published on Serious Eats. (Search for ‘2 minute mayo’ to find the original.) Don’t use olive oil with this technique — the high-speed blades of the immersion blender will oxidize the oil, leaving it bitter. You’ll have more mayo than you need for four servings; store it in the fridge for up to a week.

In the late spring and summer, try adding finely minced green garlic or chives to the mayo and using caraflex or ‘arrowhead’ cabbage, which is particularly sweet and juicy. You can grill the cabbage instead of roasting it. Cook it on a hot grill until the cabbage is tender-crisp and warmed through and edges of both sides are browned and a little charred.