Scrummy Savoy cabbage

One of the most important aspects of my blog is that I try and make it easy for couples to cook simple meals, without having to divide portions for four or six people and without creating lots of waste.
So what do you do with a whole Savoy cabbage? It’s in season at the moment and is much tastier than the common cabbage – a little more refined I think.
I first tried a Savoy after seeing Jamie Oliver do a pasta recipe with it (my version of which is below), but I was left with half a head of the bright green vegetable. So with other left-over ingredients I created my second meal – a stuffed chicken breast wrapped in pancetta on top of garlic braised cabbage.

Mozzarella stuffed chicken and savoy cabbage

So what follows is both recipes so you can go out and buy that Savoy cabbage, happy in the knowledge not a scrap will be wasted.
Both recipes give only rough guides on amounts as they were thrown together by me without weighing and measuring.

Pasta with Savoy cabbage, pancetta and cheese sauce.

Your usual amount of pasta for two people (me and Will eat a monstrous amount so I won’t give you a weight) – I suggest Farfelle (the bow shape).
Half a head of Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced.
Half a pack of pancetta (or more if you wish, depends on the amount in the pack I suppose), cut into large strips
One clove of garlic, finely chopped.
Knob of butter
Just over half a ball of mozzarella in chunks
Handful of freshly grated parmesan

Cook your pasta as usual. For the sauce: Heat some oil in a large frying pan that has a lid, add the pancetta and fry until it starts to crisp. Add the garlic and stir round then add all the Savoy cabbage, a knob of butter and some seasoning. Stir this around then add a dash of water and slam a lid on the pan straight away. Let it steam for five minutes or so until the cabbage has wilted, but retains some bite. Throw the cooked pasta in the pan with some of the cooking water and add the cubed mozzarella and the parmesan and stir so it melts into a thick sauce (the cooking water helps it all amalgamate). Serve straight away.

Mozzarella and sun-dried tomato stuffed chicken breast with Savoy cabbage

Two chicken breasts
The left over mozzarella from the pasta dish
Six strips of pancetta left over from the pasta dish
A few sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (and if you wish a few roasted red peppers from a jar, chopped)
Half a head of Savoy cabbage, finely sliced
Two garlic cloves finely chopped
A knob of butter
Some steamed purple sprouting broccoli if you wish

Chicken stuffed with mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes

Open up the chicken breast so they are flat and place on a board. Cover with cling film and bash lightly with a rolling pin so they flatten out a bit. In the centre place a few slices of mozzarella, and a few sun-dried tomatoes and red peppers. Don’t add too much or it will burst open when cooking. Wrap the chicken up tightly with the pancetta strips. Fry the outside of the chicken parcels quickly in a pan to get a bit of colour on them. Transfer to a baking dish and put in a pre-heated 200 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.
Ten minutes before the chicken is due to come out of the oven heat a large heavy based frying pan that has a lid. Add some butter and the garlic, fry gently for a few minutes. Add the Savoy cabbage, a dash of water and slam on the lid and steam for 10 minutes. Season and serve in the centre of the plate with the stuffed chicken on the top.