Onion, Leek, and Cabbage Panade

20 minutes prep 3 hour active cooking 3 hour + 20 minutes total

Makes 6 - 8 servings

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Panade is French peasant food.

The simplest version, dry bread slowly cooked with water and salt, sometimes an egg stirred in at the end, squeezed one last meal from a stale loaf of bread. Some think that adding caramelized onions and cheese led to the iconic French onion soup.

The resemblance to traditional bread stuffing (or dressing, depending on your regional preference) makes panade perfect for a holiday feast. But as legendary cook and author Richard Olney noted, an onion panade makes a hearty winter meal. “A young dry white wine, a slightly chilled Beaujolais or an icy beer are all appropriate accompaniments,” he wrote in the New York Times almost 50 years ago, “Add a salad. Put a bowl of apples on the table. It is as simple as that.”

What You'll Need

Ingredients

4 medium onions, halved and sliced
2-3 leeks, halved lengthwise and sliced
1/2 cup of Novo Frantoio extra virgin olive oil
1/2 head green cabbage, chopped
2 tablespoons of thyme
3-4 cups of dried bread cubes
4 ounces, grated Bertinelli parmigiano reggiano
4 ounces, grated Ferndale Farmstead Caciotta
1 teaspoon of kosher sea salt
1 quart vegetable broth

Equipment

1 Dutch Oven or Deep Casserole Pan
1 Large Mixing Bowl
1 Skillet
Parchment Paper
Tin Foil
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons

"I like to increase the vegetable to bread ratio...

so I caramelize leeks and onions, then add some green cabbage. The French prefer Gruyere in their panade, but I used the milder Ferndale caciotta, a local cow’s milk cheese, along with Parmigiano Reggiano."

~ Jim Dixon, founder Wellspent and Real Good Food

What you'll have to do

Step 1

Set your oven to 325F.

Cook the onions and leeks in 1/2 cup of olive oil over low heat for at least 45 minutes (longer is better), stirring occasionally, until the onions are darkly caramelized. If they begin to scorch, add a few spoonfuls of water and keep cooking.

Step 2

Combine the onion-leek mix, chopped cabbage, dried bread, 2 tablespoons of thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt, and grated cheeses in a large bowl. Mix well.

Step 3

Transfer to a deep casserole pan or Dutch oven spread evenly.

Step 4

Carefully pour the broth into the pan until it’s just below the surface of the top layer. Use more broth or water if needed.

Step 5

Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the panade, then cover loosely with foil (or place the lid on the Dutch oven). Bake for 2 hours, then remove from the oven to check. The edges should be lightly browned, and the panade should be soft and moist.