Darren Robertson's Cabbage, Done Differently

Whether you've seen him grace our screens as a guest on MasterChef or My Kitchen Rules, have pored over one of the many cookbooks he’s co-authored, or dined at one of his celebrated restaurants, Darren Robertson is a household name in the culinary world – and beyond – for good reason.

UK-born and now Byron Bay-based, Darren, who has finessed his craft at Michelin star restaurants including Gravetye Manor in England, and once helmed the renowned Tetsuya's kitchen in Sydney, is a passionate advocate of farm-to-table dining.

Today this commitment can be found woven throughout dishes at both the Three Blue Ducks, where Darren is Culinary Director, and Rocker Bondi, of which he's a Co-Owner, in ways that reflect and respect the venues' unique identities.

"My philosophy centres around championing sustainable, ethically sourced produce, and I love nothing more than meeting with suppliers to develop a deep understanding of their complete story, as well as getting my hands dirty and foraging for local, seasonal ingredients myself," says Darren.

So, what does the renowned Chef, Restaurateur and Cookbook Author create for loved ones in his downtime?

"There's nothing quite like taking a simple bit of produce, and getting creative with it. With this dish we're spotlighting the humble cabbage, yet elevating it a bit with the addition of rich, zingy nduja, sweet raisins, and buttery, nutty hazelnuts for some added texture and crunch," he explains.

Fairly simple to prep and cook, the dish is both ideal for sharing and kid friendly, just be sure to make the most of Darren's serving tip: "Labneh or yoghurt go very well as an optional extra, plus a drizzle of chilli oil after the kids have taken their share!"

Darren's Roasted Cabbage, Nduja Butter, Hazelnuts & Raisins

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For cooking
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• Half a cabbage, such as Savoy
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 can of cider

Nduja butter
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• 60g butter (room temperature)
• 60g nduja (spreadable salami)
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• Zest of half a lemon

To serve
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• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 3 tbsp chopped roasted hazelnuts
• 4 tbsp labneh
• 2 tbsp chilli oil

Method
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• Mix all the nduja butter ingredients listed above into the butter and set aside.
• Cut the cabbage into wedges, season with salt and olive oil.
• Pop the cabbage into a hot oven – I opted for a pizza oven but any hot oven will do the trick – to char up the surface.
• Remove the cabbage from the oven once the surface is charred, add the cider and return to the oven until the cider has almost all evaporated.
• Spoon the butter onto the cabbage, return to the oven.
• Spread the butter with the back of a spoon all over.
• Once properly melted and sizzling, remove from the oven.
• Season with lemon juice, raisins for sweetness and hazelnuts for a nutty crunch.

For further produce inspiration
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• Follow Darren on Instagram  
• Explore his Substack‍
• Join Beverly's mailing list for more recipes, styling and entertaining inspiration, and more