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Hafechabis
Hafechabis: Central Swiss lamb and cabbage pot with potatoes and caraway
Hafechabis, literally 'pot cabbage', is the autumn one-pot of the Lucerne, Schwyz and Uri valleys, made when the cabbages come in and the lambs come down from the alps. Lamb shoulder, white cabbage, onions and potatoes are layered in a heavy pot with caraway and left to cook gently in their own juices with a little stock, until the cabbage is silky and the lamb tender. Serve it straight from the pot with mustard and crusty bread. The usual mistake is adding too much liquid: the cabbage gives off plenty of its own, and a flooded pot tastes boiled rather than braised. Slow-cooker option: layer as below and cook on low for 7 hours. Chef's tip: brown the lamb properly first, as the caramelised fat is what flavours every layer of cabbage.
- Total time
- 125 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb boneless lamb shouldercut into 4 cm pieces
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 2 onionssliced
- 1 white cabbageabout 1 kg, cored and cut into wide strips
- 1 ⅓ lb waxy potatoespeeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
- 1 ½ tsp caraway seeds
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable or lamb stock
To serve
- 4 tsp mild mustard (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp rapeseed oil in a large heavy casserole over a medium-high heat. Brown the 1 ½ lb boneless lamb shoulder in two batches until golden all over, about 6 minutes each. Lift out.
12 minStep 2: Fry 2 onions in the lamb fat for 5 minutes until soft.
5 minStep 3: Layer a third of the 1 white cabbage over the onions, then half the lamb and 1 ⅓ lb waxy potatoes, sprinkling each layer with 1 ½ tsp caraway seeds, 1 ¼ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Repeat, finishing with cabbage. Tuck in 1 bay leaf.
5 minStep 4: Pour in 1 ¼ cups vegetable or lamb stock, cover tightly and bring to a simmer. Cook on a low heat for 1 hour 30 minutes without stirring, until the lamb is tender and the potatoes are soft right through. Slow-cooker option: low for 7 hours.
90 minStep 5: Check the pot halfway: if it looks dry at the base add 100 ml water; if very wet, cook the last 15 minutes with the lid off. Serve with 4 tsp mild mustard.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 37 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hafechabis take?
- About 125 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 105 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of white cabbage?
- Savoy or spring greens, same weight.
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