Alton Brown's Secret To Flavorful Cabbage Adds An Irish Flair

Cabbage doesn't always get the spotlight it deserves, but we think it's time for that to change — with a little care, this unsung hero can turn into a most surprising star on your plate. When it comes to cooking cabbage, especially sturdier varieties like Savoy, there is one clever trick — often cited as the step you can't skip when prepping cabbage before stir-frying — which is blanching it first. Give the cabbage a quick dip in boiling water to soften the leaves, lock in their green tint, and set them up to caramelize beautifully once they hit the blazing pan. Then, it's from there that the real fun begins.

Alton Brown takes his cabbage even further by deglazing the pan at the end with a splash of Irish whiskey which brings in a wave of sweet, malty flavor to the dish overall. According to his recipe on Facebook, the whiskey is used after the cabbage has been cooked, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and allowing the leaves to soak up all the sweet, malty notes and end up with a much more glossy and fragrant end result. And there are many types of cabbage out there so if you're curious about what to do with what type of cabbage you have on hand, it's worth checking out how to cook with all nine types of cabbage for more inspiration.

Irish whiskey has a soft and honey-like profile which works really well with cabbage, and knowing the difference between Irish whisky and Scotch explains why this particular choice does matter. Scotch tends to have a heavier, almost smoky, taste that may take over the dish it's added to, while Irish whiskey is smoother and more likely to sort of slip in gently and add some warmth without drowning out the flavor of the cabbage itself.

If you're feeling inspired, you could use that whiskey-glazed cabbage idea as the base of a dish with potatoes — turning it into what is known as a colcannon (basically Irish mashed potatoes). Simply stir the whiskey-glazed cabbage into some buttery mash for a boozier take on this Irish staple where the potatoes bring the creaminess, the whiskey adds some depth, and the cabbage brings some green and added texture. In Brown's version of colcannon, he simply enjoys his whiskey as a drink on the side rather than in the cabbage, but why not put both of his techniques to use at once? Whether you spoon it next to some corned beef in proper Irish style or you eat it with a fork straight from the pan, this dish is proof that even an overlooked vegetable like cabbage can hold its own with just a little expert technique and a "spirited" twist.