
We were given the most glorious January King cabbage after the market the other week. It was deep purple-green and about the size of a mountain lion. We loved that cabbage. We decided that if we were going to cook it, and not just admire it until it went mouldy, we had to do it justice.
We went for a stewp – half way between and stew and a soup – of ham hock, cider, green lentils and, of course, cabbage. Here’s the recipe – we know it’s not a pie, but this is a cracking stewp, and what with the snow outside and cabbages in season, the timing’s spot on.

Loadsa snow in Hyde Park
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1.5kg ham hock, smoked or un-smoked depending on preference
2 onions, one quartered, one diced
4 sticks of celery
3 bay leaves
½ bunch parsley
½ bunch thyme
a handful of peppercorns
1 pint cider
5 cloves garlic
1 knob of butter
lug of olive oil
200g green lentils
1 fancy cabbage
1. In a pot, cover the ham hock in cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 3 mins. Discard the water and wash the ham – otherwise your stewp will be too salty.
2. Pour in the cider and top up with cold water to cover. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, two sticks of celery and the quartered onion. Take just the stalks off the parsley, bash the thyme sprigs with the blunt edge of a knife and add both to the pot. Bring back to the boil, then simmer for 2 hours, or until the ham falls off the bone.
3. Meanwhile dice the second onion, the garlic, and the rest of the celery, then shred the cabbage. When the ham is done, pop it on a chopping board. Pass the liquor through a sieve into a jug and keep to one side.
4. Rinse out the pot, get it back on a high heat and fry up the onion in the butter and olive oil. When soft but not brown, add the garlic and celery for a further 3 mins.
5. Add about 2 pints of liquor and the lentils. Chop up the parsley leaves and add them too. Bring to the boil and simmer for 35 mins. While this is going, pull the pork off the bone and add it as and when. After 35 mins, pop in the cabbage and cook for a further 10 mins, topping up with liquor if required.
6. Eat between snowball fights. Or after a really cold day at the market.

More warming than wearing every item of clothing you own.