Choux a La Creme-Cabbage in Cream

When I was a kid I was inspired by Graham Kerr; The Galloping Gourmet. Long before the existence of the Cooking Channel, New Zealander Kerr was hosting a half hour cooking show from a tiny television studio in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I was transfixed. Kerr taught a nation how to clarify butter, use the infamous 'spurtle' and generally put a little flair into our meat and potatoes lifestyle. I owe him a lot. I have collected as many of his TV cookbooks as I have been able to get my hands on. This recipe for jazzed up cabbage certainly is not low cal. But it is an excellent addition to a special Sunday roast. From the Galloping Gourment TV cookbook Vol. 4. with minor modifications...

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 green cabbage (1 lb.)
• 4  slices bacon
•  clarified butter
• 1  medium onion
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 2  tablespoons white flour
• 1 1⁄4 cups milk
•  salt, to taste
•  pepper, to taste
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1⁄4 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Remove core from cabbage, cut into quarters and slice, very finely, set aside. Place cabbage into salted boiling water and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Finely slice bacon. Finely dice onion. Set aside.
3. Sift flour, measure butter, milk and cream. Set aside.
4. Place a little clarified butter into a saucepan and add bacon, onion and dried thyme. Allow to cook for 1 minute. Add the butter and stir in the flour to form a roux -allow to cook 1 minute.
5. Whisk in the milk, stirring to form a smooth sauce. Bring to a boil and season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Add the cabbage to the roux and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
6. Just before serving, stir in the cream.