It might sound like a big ordeal – and it is – but I dare you to follow my recipes and I promise it will be worth it.
You will need a 15-gallon oak barrel. A food grade plastic container could be used if you don’t want to make a big investment. You will need a spout installed close to the bottom of the barrel.
Pick twenty big and dense Savoy cabbages. Remove damaged leaves and make an inch deep crosscut on the core. Arrange them in layers in the barrel.
Use sea salt that is not iodized in proportion 33 g to a liter of water. Prepare the marinade in a bucket. Steer the salt until it dissolves and poor on top of the cabbages. They have to be weighted down with a wooden plank and a stone and submerged into the marinade. (You may not be able to fit all the cabbages, but after a few days you will.) Add a stalk of dry corn, a whole horseradish head and a few beets for a pink tint.
Find the right place for your cabbage – the optimal temperature is room temperature. Designate a guest room for your cabbage to give it privacy and don’t forget to close the door.
The result is soft but crunchy cabbage that is mellowing tart and salty. Enjoy it like a salad with sunflower oil, sprinkled with slightly roasted walnuts. The brine makes for a fancy cold Consume with chopped fresh leeks, sprinkled with hot peppers flakes. It is considered a potent cold or hangover remedy. I am thinking to patent a dirty martini made with it. The leaves are reserved for my favorite meals – sarmi (cabbage rolls with pork ribs), duck, turkey or capon – all easy to prepare and sure to please a crowd.