Taste Etc: Olia Hercules

Ukrainians love sunflower seeds. Babusias (grannies) used to sell fried sunflower seeds, still in their shells, in newspaper cones outside their houses. It’s a national pastime to crunch deftly through a whole cone in no time. However, we do not traditionally use the seeds much in cooking, especially not in savoury recipes. But things are changing. We’ve embraced our beloved seeds and have begun using them in myriad new ways.

Charred cabbage with sunflower seed cream

^{Serves 4 as a side}

^{› 100g sunflower seeds plus extra for sprinkling over (optional)
› 300ml cool water
› 1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and finely ground
› 1 tsp caraway seeds, toasted and finely ground
› 1/2 small garlic clove, chopped
› 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
› 1 tsp flaky sea salt
› 1 tbsp honey or agave
› 1 sweetheart or red cabbage
› 3 tbsp olive oil
› Chilli flakes or sumac (or both)}

Put the sunflower seeds into a small bowl and pour 300ml of water over them, or enough water to cover them fully, and let them soak for at least 30 minutes. Drain, but keep the water.

To make the cream, put the sunflower seeds and spices into a small blender, add 150ml of the soaking water, plus the garlic, sherry vinegar, a pinch of sea salt and the honey or agave. Blitz until it looks like thick cream. Add more water if it seems too thick until you are happy with the texture. It should be nicely seasoned: taste to see if it needs more salt, sweetness or acidity. Its flavour will sing when joined with those charred cabbage flavours.

Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan. Remove the tough end of the cabbage stalk, then cut the remainder into thin wedges, put into a bowl, and rub the oil all over the sliced cabbage. Put the cabbage on a tray, season it with sea salt and roast for about 25 minutes, until charred. Alternatively, fry it in an oiled pan, turning it to char each side.

To plate, spread the cream on a small platter, top with the charred cabbage, and sprinkle with the chilli flakes and/or sumac.

^{The personal papers of Marie-Louise von Motesiczky were presented by the Trustees of the Marie-Louise von Motesiczky Charitable Trust in 2012. Visit tate.org.uk/art/archive.}

^{Olia Hercules is a London-based Ukrainian chef and the author of Home Food, published by Bloomsbury.}