This is a favourite winter recipe in Greece and here the cabbage is mixed with carrots, celery and rice with a few spices, sultanas and pine nuts to make a delicious pilaf which becomes rather special topped with a feta cream and crispy ham.

Ingredients

  • 250g cabbage, shredded already on a mandolin or cut thinly with a knife
  • 100g grated carrot
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 celery sticks, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 100g basmati rice
  • 100ml dry white wine
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • ½ tsp coriander seeds
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds
  • ¼ mustard seeds
  • 50g sultanas
  • 50g pine nuts
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ lemon, juice

For the feta cream

  • 200g Dodoni feta
  • 150g Greek yogurt
  • A few tbsp milk to thin

For the crispy ham

  • 100g smoked ham
  • 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for frying

To serve

  • A few basil leaves
  • A pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

Process

  1. Bring a large pan to a medium heat and add the olive oil and spices. Cook for a minute or so to release their aromas and add the onion
  2. Sweat the onion for 3-4 minutes and add the celery
  3. Continue cooking for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a couple minutes more before adding the rise
  4. Stir for 2-3 more minutes and pour in the wine. When the wine evaporates, add half the stock and give everything a stir
  5. Add the sultanas, lower the heat cover the pan and cook slowly, stirring from time to time and adding stock as needed until the rice and vegetables are cooked
  6. To shred the slices of ham, put them in a bag and use a mullet to beat them pushing outwards as you do and use your hands to shred them
  7. Bring a small frying pan with the olive oil to a high heat and fry the shredded ham, using a slotted spoon to move it around so that it crisps up evenly and drain on some kitchen paper
  8. In a clean, dry frying pan, roast the pine nuts
  9. When the rice is cooked, season with some freshly ground black pepper and salt if it is needed. Stir in half the pine nuts
  10. To make the feta cream, in a small blender blitz the feta with the Greek yogurt adding a tbsp of milk at a time to bring to a pourable consistency
  11. When serving, spoon some of the feta cream over the rice in each plate, top with equal amounts of crispy ham, spread with a few pine nuts, a few torn basil leaves and some extra black pepper or chilli flakes