Braised Root Vegetables and Cabbage with Fall Fruit

Here’s a simple braised vegetable dish from legendary French chef Alain Ducasse, via Food & Wine.  Gently cooking the fruit and vegetables in chicken broth makes them surprisingly delicious. Try it as a cold-weather side for chicken, pork and duck.  Serves 6.

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
4 carrots, sliced ⅓ inch thick
4 large radishes, quartered
4 baby turnips, peeled and quartered
¾ pound Savoy cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 Bosc pear—peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. When the foam subsides, add the onion, carrots, radishes, turnips, cabbage, apple and garlic. Season with salt and black pepper and cook over high heat, stirring, until the vegetables are lightly browned in spots, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover and braise in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender.
2. Remove from the oven, stir in the pear pieces and cook over high heat until the liquid is evaporated and the pear is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the braised fruits and vegetables to a bowl and serve.