The Savoy Cabbage and Kecap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce) blunder wonder

Image from www.teachfactory.com

Today, I ALMOST made a complete blunder in the kitchen, BUT I learned two things:

1. 

   This is a Savoy Cabbage (Image from wegmans.com)

   Savoy cabbage is nothing like the Chinese cabbage The Husband loves oh so dearly. The savoy cabbage has a bowling ball like roundness (and weight!), with leaves so densely packed that I’d think of them as hugging inseparable lovers. On the other hand, the Chinese cabbage with its bullet-like shape has leaves not as close to each other that I’d consider them as close-friends-who-have-been reunited-after-X-years-of-irregular-communication. They used to be close, but not anymore. Aside from the difference in shape, there is a stark difference in flavor. With the latter having a slightly bitter after taste, The Husband was instantly turned off (as he was expecting a flavor similar to his beloved Chinese cabbage) and wanted me to remedy this flavor blunder. As such, I turned to our wee pantry for the ingredients I can use to help me adjust the dish to The Husband’s liking. I initially turned to sugar to tone down the bitter after taste and added two tablespoons, careful not to make the cabbage saccharine. The Husband still was repulsed by the bitter taste, so I turned to Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce).

2. 

   This is Kecap Manis. (image from blogs.villagevoice.com)

   I love Kecap Manis and have used it in my Chorizo fried rice, which The Husband enjoyed with much gusto. So I decided to give it another shot, drizzling what was left of the small Kecap Manis bottle onto the bitter cabbage leaves. It’s nutty, dark sweetness hid the bitter after taste from plain sight. The Husband then finally gave the dish a passing grade. Just a passing grade? Well, he still found the cabbage too bitter. At least, the Kecap Manis made it more acceptable to his taste! So after seeing The Husband lick the Kecap Manis bottle clean and dry, I learned that this ingredient will now be a mainstay in our wee pantry. Maybe we need to buy a bigger bottle though…

Thank you Kecap Manis from saving me from another beginner cook’s blunder!

Delirious about delicious,

Didi

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