Simon Rogan helms two Michelin-starred L’Enclume in the picturesque village of Cartmel in England's northwest Cumbria region, where he serves up vegetable-forward cuisine, farmed and foraged from surrounding regions.
Rogan is also the owner and operator of nearby Our Farm, where he cultivates a diverse range of seasonal produce; it takes less than an hour to go from harvest-to-plate.
Here, Rogan shares the recipe for one of his signature dishes: dill-brined cabbage with mock teriyaki sauce and wasabi emulsion, a surprisingly complex creation with deep, meaty flavors.
The humble cabbage—grown and harvested from the chef’s farm—is the star of the show in this dish that encapsulates Rogan’s cooking philosophy: the freshest produce, treated with as much respect as a prime cut of meat.
Dill-Brined Cabbage
Recipe Courtesy of Executive Chef Simon Rogan, L'Enclume, Cartmel, England
Serves 4
For the cabbage:
2 liters water
2 cabbages (Sweetheart or Sugarloaf), halved
100 grams salt
40 grams dill
Method
1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot; add the cabbage, salt and dill; remove from heat and let cool.
2. Brine the cabbages in the liquid overnight.
3. Remove from liquid, pat dry and set aside.
For the Wasabi Emulsion:
3 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
15 grams wasabi paste
4 grams kosher salt
500 milliliters sunflower oil
Method
1. Blend egg yolks, whole eggs, wasabi and salt together; slowly pour in the oil until a thick emulsion is formed.
2. Pour into a heatproof cream whipper; reserve.
For the Mock Teriyaki:
250 milliliters stout vinegar
50 milliliters English mead
300 milliliters mushroom stock (See recipe below)
50 grams fermented mushroom juice (See recipe below)
50 grams granulated sugar
10 grams corn flour slurry
Method
1. Gently simmer the stout vinegar until reduced by two-thirds.
2. Evaporate the alcohol in the mead by simmering and then removing from the heat.
3. Add the mushroom stock, fermented mushroom juice and sugar, and reduce.
4. While constantly stirring, add the corn flour slurry bit by bit to thicken.
5. Add the reduced stout vinegar.
For Assembly
200 grams brown Shimeji mushrooms
60 grams pearl onions
Unsalted butter, for frying
Chives or wild garlic leaves, for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
Grated truffle, for garnish
Method
1. Fry the Shimeji mushrooms and pearl onions in 1 to 2 tablespoons butter; wilt over the chives or garlic leaves. Season and set aside.
2. Spoon a pool of the mock teriyaki sauce on a plate and top with cabbage.
3. Spoon over some mushrooms, top with some wasabi emulsion and finish with grated truffle.
For the Mushroom Stock:
100 grams shallot, peeled and finely sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely sliced
1 to 2 Tablespoons sunflower oil
2 sprigs thyme
600 grams chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced and dried overnight in a very low-heated oven
200 milliliters Madeira
1 Tablespoon Sherry vinegar
1.5 liters water
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
1. In a medium saucepan, fry the shallots and garlic gently in sunflower oil until translucent; add the thyme and dried mushrooms.
2. Pour in the Madeira and Sherry vinegar and reduce by two-thirds.
3. Add the water and simmer for 2 hours. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Leave in a fridge overnight to mature.
4. Pass the stock through a sieve, reduce by half and season with salt and pepper.
For the Fermented Mushroom Juice:
250 grams chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced
15 grams salt
Method
1. Freeze the sliced mushrooms, and then mix them with salt.
2. Leave in a warm place for 24 hours.
3. Strain the liquid that is released from the mushrooms, discarding the solids.
