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Red Cabbage Salad
(Mdzhavai Kombosto)
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This popular Georgian vegetable salad consists of white cabbage pickled in a marinade for several days until it turns red. Although it may appear more reasonable to make it with red cabbage, the piquant flavor given the white cabbage by its marinade will not be the same if you use the red variety.
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| What You Need: |
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A 2-pound white cabbage, trimmed and outer leaves removed
2 pounds beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
8 sprigs parsley, with stems cut off
1 bunch celery, leaves only
2 cups red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon imported paprika
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Place the cabbage in a 3- to 4-quart casserole and cover it with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted deeply into the cabbage meets only the slightest resistance.
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2. With two slotted spoons, remove the cabbage from the water and place it in a colander to drain. Gently pull back the outer leaves, and carefully open and separate the inner leaves one by one without detaching them from their base. The cabbage should now have the shape of a large opened rose.
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3. Set the cabbage in a deep 8- to 10-quart stainless-steel or enameled casserole. Add the beets, parsley, celery leaves, vinegar and paprika and pour in enough boiling water to cover the cabbage by at least 2 inches.
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4. Place a heavy heatproof plate on top of the cabbage to keep it submerged and pickle the cabbage at room temperature for 5 to 7 days. At the end of this period, it will have turned a deep, tawny red. Refrigerate it in its marinade for at least 4 hours before serving.
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5. Remove the cabbage from its liquid, drain it thoroughly, and set it up-right on a flat plate. Cut into quarters and serve.
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NOTE: A simpler though less decorative way to prepare the salad is to chop the cooked cabbage coarsely before pickling it.
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