Cabbage usually gets made small: shredded, boiled, sliced into ribbons until nothing of it is left. The interesting part only happens when you leave it big. A slice three centimetres thick behaves like two dishes at once — the thin leaf edges go dark, brittle and smoky, while the core stays juicy and turns sweet.

The rest is contrast. The herb yoghurt has to be cold, sharp enough, and carry noticeably more herbs than feels sensible while you are chopping them. Then a few toasted hazelnuts on top, so that it crunches in two different places.

Servings 2

For the cabbage steaks

1 smallwhite cabbage, about 1 kg
4 tbspolive oil
2garlic cloves
1 tspcaraway seeds, whole
1 tspsmoked paprika
1 tspsalt
½ tspblack pepper, freshly ground
1 tbspmaple syrup or honey

For the herb yoghurt

250 gGreek yoghurt, 10%
1 bunchflat-leaf parsley
½ bunchdill
½ bunchchives
1unwaxed lemon, zest and 2 tbsp juice
1 smallgarlic clove
2 tbspolive oil
¾ tspsalt

To finish

40 ghazelnuts
a littlelemon zest, olive oil, flaky salt

Serves 2 as a main with bread — or 4 as a starter if you halve the slices.

method

Heat the oven to 220 °C conventional (200 °C fan) and line a tray with baking paper. The oven has to be genuinely hot before the cabbage goes in.
Pull off the wilted outer leaves. Do not cut out the core — it holds the slices together. Using a large knife, cut the head from top to bottom into slices 2.5 to 3 cm thick.

One head gives three or four whole slices. Whatever falls apart at the edges goes on the tray anyway and turns into crisps.
Mix the olive oil with the crushed garlic, caraway, paprika, salt and pepper. Brush the slices generously on both sides, working some of it between the leaf layers.
Roast for 20 minutes, then turn carefully with a wide spatula. Roast another 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are dark brown and dry. Brush with the maple syrup for the last 5 minutes.

Darker than feels right. That is exactly where the flavour sits.
Meanwhile chop all the herbs finely and stir into the yoghurt with lemon zest, lemon juice, grated garlic, olive oil and salt. Leave it for 10 minutes, then taste again.
Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan until they smell nutty, cool briefly and chop roughly.
Spread the yoghurt across the plates and set the cabbage steaks on top. Finish with nuts, a little lemon zest, flaky salt and one last drizzle of olive oil.

notes

Pointed cabbage instead: Works well and tastes milder, but the slices hold together less reliably. Cut the total roasting time down to about 30 minutes.
Vegan: Cashew or soy yoghurt works; go slightly heavier on the lemon juice and salt. Use the maple syrup rather than honey.
The next day: Slice the leftovers into ribbons and take them into a pan with an egg, or fold them through pasta. Reheating in the oven makes them leathery.
If nothing goes crisp: Too many slices on one tray, or the slices were cut too thin. Better to use two trays and leave each slice more room.