Ingredients
- 1 small green cabbage, cut into wedges
- 60 ml Québec maple syrup
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 90 ml vegetable stock
- 45 ml cider vinegar
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Method
- Melt the butter in a heavy ovenproof pot and sear the cabbage wedges on both sides.
- Whisk the maple syrup, stock, vinegar, caraway, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the mixture around the cabbage, cover, and bake at 175 °C for 30 minutes.
- Uncover, baste with the pan juices, and bake 8–10 minutes more until lightly caramelized.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 75 g brown sugar in a traditional sweet-and-sour braised cabbage
Conversion used: Replace 75 g brown sugar with 60 ml maple syrup; reduce the stock by 30 ml and lower the oven from 190 °C to 175 °C.
Why Quebec maple syrup: The maple-vinegar balance preserves the classic sweet-and-sour profile and deepens cabbage's roasted flavor. It brings a distinctly Québec character without changing the familiar braising technique.
General rule: 1 cup (250 ml) sugar ≈ 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup; reduce liquids by 45–60 ml per cup of syrup and lower oven by 15 °C. Substitution calculator →