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Pork Chops Baked with Cabbage

Recipes: The Cooking of Provincial France, Time Life Books.

Ingredients
6 quarts water
Salt
3 lbs cabbage, finely chopped (about 12 cups)
3 tbs butter (or extra virgin olive oil)
½ cup finely chopped onions
½ tsp minced garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
8 pork chops
3 Tbs olive oil
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 bay leaf
4 tsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese mixed with 2 tsp fine, dry breadcrumbs 

In a soup pot or kettle, bring water and 3 Tbs of salt to a bubbling boil.  Drop in chopped cabbage and boil for 5 minutes.  Drain the cabbage thoroughly in a colander.  In a 10 to 12-inch skillet, melt 2 Tbs butter over moderate heat.  When the foam subsides, cook the onions and garlic, stirring constantly, for 3 or 4 minutes, or until they are soft but not brown.  Stir in cabbage, ½ tsp salt and a few grindings of pepper.  Cook stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until almost all of the moisture in the pan has evaporated.  Transfer the contents of the skillet to a bowl and set aside. 

Season pork chops with salt and pepper.  In a skillet, melt the remaining 1 Tbs of butter with the oil over moderate heat.  When the foam subsides, brown the chops for about 3 minutes on each side, or until they are a rich golden color.  Remove them from the skillet and set aside.  Pour off almost all the fat from the skillet, leaving only a thin film on the bottom.  Add the wine and boil rapidly, stirring frequently and scraping in any brown bits that cling to the bottom and sides of the pan, until the wine is reduced to ¼ cup.  Mix the reduced wine into the cabbage.  Spread about 1/3 of the cabbage in the bottom of a heavy flameproof casserole at least 4 inches deep, and large enough to hold 4 chops in a single layer.  Lay the 4 chops on top of the cabbage, then add another layer of cabbage, 4 more chops, and finish with the rest of the cabbage.  The casserole should be firmly packed.  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a small saucepan, scald the cream by heating over moderate heat until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pan.  Pour the hot cream into the casserole and place a bay leaf on top of the cabbage.  Cover it tightly and bake it on the middle shelf of the oven for 1½ hours.  Remove the cover, discard the bay leaf and check the seasoning.  Sprinkle cabbage with cheese and crumbs.  Bake the casserole for 30 minutes longer, or until the top is brown and crusty.  Serve directly from the casserole.  Serves 4.

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