Monitoring Desk
Sweet hispi three ways: roasted with herb yoghurt and crisp shallots, shredded into a herby fruit and nut salad, and stuffed in a cheesy filo pie
Roast hispi with herb yoghurt and crisp shallots
Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 2
½ hispi cabbage
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt
50ml neutral cooking oil
1 banana shallot, peeled and finely sliced
1 big handful picked mixed soft herbs – parsley, mint, coriander
4 heaped tbsp thick, Greek-style yoghurt
1 squeeze lemon
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Cut the hispi into two wedges, then remove most of the stalk, but leave enough so the pieces stay intact.
Put a glug of extra-virgin olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat, then lay in the cabbage wedges and season with fine salt. Leave to cook until browned on one side, then flip over, transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes, until the cabbage is soft (test this by inserting a skewer or small knife into its thickest part).
Meanwhile, put the neutral oil and shallots in a small pan and set over a medium-high heat. Cook the shallots, stirring occasionally, until they turn golden brown, then transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper, to drain, and season with fine salt.
In a blender, blitz the herbs, yoghurt, lemon juice and a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil until smooth, then season to taste with flaky salt.
Spoon a pool of the yoghurt mix on to each plate, lay a cabbage wedge on top, scatter over the shallots and serve.
Raw hispi, fruit and nut salad
Prep 10 min
Serves 2
½ hispi cabbage, finely shredded
100g mixed nuts, toasted and lightly crushed
70g mixed dried fruit, roughly chopped
1 big handful picked soft herbs – parsley, mint, coriander
Flaky sea salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
Vinegar of choice
Mix the cabbage, nuts, fruits and herbs in a bowl, and season with flaky salt.
Make a dressing, working with a rough ratio of three parts oil to one part vinegar – I prefer this salad when it’s quite acidic – then pour over the cabbage mix and toss to coat. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve.
- UK readers: click to buy these ingredients from Ocado
Hispi filo börek
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 2
1 large potato, peeled and diced
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, peeled and chopped
½ large hispi cabbage, finely shredded
100g cavolo nero leaves (ie, stripped off their stalks), finely shredded
200g mixed cheese, such as crumbled feta, grated pecorino and manchego
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely grated
1 tbsp baharat spice mix
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 egg, beaten
120g unsalted butter, melted
6 large sheets filo pastry
Put the potatoes in a bowl, add a little extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of fine salt, toss to coat, then scatter over a baking tray. Roast for about 20 minutes, until cooked through, then remove and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon more of oil in a medium-sized frying pan, then add the onion and fry, stirring, on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil, then blanch the hispi and cavolo nero for two minutes, drain and leave to cool. Once cool enough to handle, put the greens in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much excess water as possible, because they need to be completely dry before going in the pie.
In a large bowl, combine the squeezed greens with the cooled fried potato and onion, then mix in the cheeses, garlic, baharat and parsley, and season to taste. Add the egg and mix that in well, too.
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Generously brush a 20cm nonstick ovenproof frying pan with butter, and cut each filo sheet in half. Lay a half-sheet of filo in the pan, with a little hanging over the sides, brush the top with butter, then put another layer of filo on top at a slight angle, and butter that, too. Repeat with four more pieces of the remaining filo.
Spoon all the cabbage mix on top of the sixth sheet of filo, and push it down firmly, so it evenly fills the pan all the way to the corners. Fold in the overhanging filo over the filling and push down so they stay in place. Brush the remaining filo sheets one by one with butter, scrunch each one up in a ruffle and lay on top to cover the filling.
Set the pan over a medium-high heat, cook until the base is golden, then transfer to the hot oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on top.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool for five or so minutes, then carefully lift the pie out of the pan and on to a wire rack, and leave to cool down more. Serve warm or at room temperature, perhaps with a crisp salad on the side.
