Swiss Cabbage

A whole head of cabbage rebuilt around sausage-meat, boiled in a cloth and served with hot vinegar. The method is sound but the original assumes you already know how a stuffed cabbage is assembled, so the working details are worth spelling out.

• The hinge: keep the head intactCut out the core and hollow the centre from the stem end without cutting through the outer leaves, then gently prise the remaining leaves apart and spread sausage between them. If the head splits, the filling escapes into the water and you have soup.
• Blanch firstDropping the whole head into boiling water for 5 to 8 minutes, then cooling it, makes the leaves flexible enough to separate without tearing. The original says nothing either way.
• QuantitiesFor a 2 to 2 1/2 lb head, allow about 1 lb of bulk sausage-meat: roughly half packed into the hollow centre, the rest smeared thinly between the leaves.
• The clothWrap in a double layer of damp cheesecloth and tie it snugly at the stem, or tie the cloth into a bundle at the top. Loose wrapping lets the head open up as the leaves soften.
• Time and donenessSimmer, do not hard-boil, for about an hour for a head of that size. Cabbage tenderness is not the only test: the sausage in the centre must reach 160F on an instant-read thermometer pushed through the cloth, and a thick core of raw pork can lag well behind a soft outer leaf.
• Hot vinegarA full cup of straight vinegar over one head is aggressive by current taste. Cider vinegar warmed with a little of the cooking liquid, or a spoonful of sugar, gives the same sharp finish without stripping the palate.
• ServingUnwrap on a plate to catch the juices, then cut in wedges through the stem so each portion shows the layers. One head serves four as a main course.