Crispy Baked Blooming Cabbage with Spicy Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

For the Cabbage

  • 1 medium (12 ounce / 340g) green cabbage

  • 1 ½ cups whole milk

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder

  • 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

  • Non-stick cooking spray

For the Dipping Sauce

  • ½ cup full-fat mayonnaise

  • 2 tablespoons cream-style horseradish sauce

  • 1 tablespoon ketchup

  • ¼ teaspoon paprika

  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

  • ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano

  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust for heat preference)

  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack positioned in the center. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

  2. Using a large sharp knife, slice the cabbage into 8 wedges, cutting roughly ¾ of the way down from the top, leaving the root end intact to hold the whole head together. Cut each wedge in half again to make 16 total segments, taking care not to cut all the way through the root base.

  3. Place the cut cabbage in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and microwave on high heat for 5 minutes. Let it rest until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

  4. While the cabbage cools, prep your coating stations: In one large bowl, whisk milk and eggs together until fully combined, then set aside. In a second large bowl, whisk together flour, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, paprika, and ¾ teaspoon of the salt, mixing until evenly blended, then set aside.

  5. Gently fan the cabbage wedges apart inside their original bowl, then pour the entire egg mixture over the cabbage, making sure liquid seeps into every gap between layers. Carefully transfer the whole cabbage to the bowl with the dry flour mixture. Use your hands to sprinkle and coat the cabbage evenly, pulling apart the wedges to work flour into every crevice.

  6. Move the cabbage back to the empty bowl that previously held the egg mixture. Pour any remaining egg mixture over the cabbage a second time, ensuring all surfaces are coated and no dry flour remains. Return the cabbage to the dry flour mixture and repeat the coating process, again working flour between every layer.

  7. Transfer the fully coated cabbage to your prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining ¾ teaspoon of salt, then spritz the entire cabbage generously with cooking spray to encourage crisping.

  8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cabbage is deeply browned and crispy all over. Loosely tent the top with aluminum foil halfway through baking to prevent over-browning.

  9. While the cabbage cooks, make the dipping sauce: Stir all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth, then chill in the refrigerator until the cabbage is ready to serve.

  10. Remove the finished cabbage from the oven, transfer it to a large serving platter, and serve warm with the chilled dipping sauce.