Cabbages - Kevan Smith

‘Cabbages cabbages where do you keep the cabbages,’ Chef blustered and bluffed his way through the storeroom. ‘You can’t make a slaw without cabbages.’ He grabbed the chicken, and cutting it into pieces, thrust it into the pot along with the garlic, onion and the sesame seeds, garnish, spice and soy.

The hot water was added and it all came to a bubbling brew while he dismembered the red cabbage and thrust the dices into the cauldron.

Adding salt, pepper and paprika he mixed and stirred as it bubbled away. Letting it almost boil over, he turned it down and added the champagne.

It was at a low bubble as he diced the hot pepperoni and mustard seed. Couldn’t boil or the soft sweet wine flavour would be boiled out.

The paprika and chili added the heat to the sweetness while the chicken soaked in both the sweet and the spice of the sausage. Letting it softly simmer for half an hour he would slowly churn the brew as it gathered and expelled the spicy, sweet chilli, flavours drew from each other and built the soft flavours together.

Chef tested regularly and added as his taste buds demanded. The whole kitchen enveloped in the sweet chili and spice and the red cabbage enveloped the tendering chicken.