Is there a better food out there than bacon? A quick Google search for the word “Bacon” brings up a plethora of sites that pay homage to this cherished part of the pig (so much for your 7 degrees, Kevin Bacon!). Is there anything else on earth so fatty, so salty, or so indulgent? I challenge anyone out there to resist the knee-jerk reaction to salivate in its presence.

 
And so, as I moved on to my next NY Magazine recipe from the Holiday Food 2008 feature article, I was very excited to be cooking the first of two recipes that incorporate bacon. This recipe combines fresh and crispy ingredients (Savoy cabbage, grapes) with the god of all sinful greasy foods. How could it possibly be bad?

Chef Laurent Tourondel points out that this recipe is especially great for the holidays because you braise the cabbage on the stovetop, freeing up precious oven space. Braising cabbage on the stovetop involves some fast paced cooking – as you cook the cabbage in boiled water for only a few minutes…

…before transferring it to the waiting ice bath and then one more time to the strainer.

Phase I is action-packed and takes less than ten minutes once the water starts boiling. Phase II, however is where things get really interesting. By the way, I missed the boat this week getting to the big greenmarket in Union Square, so I was forced to substitute green seedless grapes and 20 pearl onions for white grapes and cipollini onions. I found both in the organic section and think they were both good substitutes.

Your kitchen will be filled with the delicious smell of bacon, which is sure to make you extremely hungry. You will need to summon all of your willpower to resist sneaking tastes of sauteed onions and bacon from the pan.

Wait until the onions have caramelized before adding the Savoy cabbage and grapes into the mix. Be sure to cook this on high heat until all of the liquid evaporates out of the cabbage, at which point you should add the stock.

I deviated from the recipe just a tad by deciding to forgo the butter. If this had been a read holiday meal, I might have gone for it, but it just seemed like a little too much for a Wednesday night. After all, it’s not every night that we indulge in bacon. My boyfriend and I ate pretty much the whole thing as a meal, but I recommend using this as the chef intended – as a side.

Braised Savoy Cabbage

The Recipe:

• 1 large head Savoy cabbage (approximately 2 to 3 pounds) 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
6 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise in lardons

• 12 medium-size cipollini onions, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon honey
1 cup white grapes, halved, seeds removed

• 1/2 cup chicken stock

• 5 tablespoons butter, diced (This blogger chose to skip the butter)
• 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 3 sage leaves

 
Quarter the cabbage, remove core, and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. Prepare an ice bath. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the cabbage, and cook for 2 minutes. Strain the cabbage and immediately transfer into ice bath. Allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes, then drain, using your hands to squeeze out excess water. Set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan, add the oil and bacon, and cook until bacon turns light brown in color, about 2 minutes. Add the cipollini onions and cook over medium heat until the onions begin to caramelize, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the honey and continue to cook until well combined. Add the blanched cabbage and grapes, season with salt and pepper, and sauté over high heat until the water releases from the cabbage and evaporates completely. Once the mixture appears dry, add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer over high heat. Add the butter and continue to cook until incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Once the liquid has thickened, add the whole sage leaves and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

THE CHEF:
 Laurent Tourondel (BLT Market and eleven other BLTs around the country) To free up oven space for the all-important turkey, Laurent Tourondel recommends braising cabbage on the stove. “It’s a different, faster way to make this homey recipe,” he says. Tourondel likes the addition of bacon, which adds fat and flavor.

THE FARMER:
 Chris and Eve Kaplan-Walbrecht(Garden of Eve) Aquebogue; 631-523-6608 or gardenofevefarm.com Chris and Eve Kaplan-Walbrecht have agricultural roots (Chris grew up on a dairy farm, and Eve has an environmental studies degree), so opening an organic farm on Long Island was only logical. In 2004, the couple started a Community Supported Agriculture group, which supplies vegetables to over 1,000 households and restaurants each week for a fee of $500 per season. “Our cabbages grow with compost and natural fertilizers, and after the frost hits, it makes them even sweeter,” says Chris.