Ed & Sally's Cabbage Pudding

1-2 lb. cabbage (actually just the biggest savoy cabbage you can buy)
2 oz. butter or bacon fat
2 oz. onion, finely chopped (I use shallots for extra flavour, about three of them)
3 oz. fresh white breadcrumbs (that's about a thick slice, and I use stale wholemeal!)
2 heaped tablespoons chopped parsley and herbs (mixed dried herbs are fine)
2 beaten eggs, salt, freshley ground pepper

Trim cabbage but leave whole. Plunge it into a large pan of boiling water. Boil for 3-4 minutes. Lift out into a colander, drain. Carefully detach the outside leaves (4-6) and put on one side.

Cut the cabbage into quarters, cut away a little of the stalk then chop finely. Melt butter in a stew-pan (the pan you just used to boil the whole cabbage is fine), add onion, cover and cook gently 1-2 minutes.

Add cabbage, press a piece of buttered paper on the top (this is entirely unnecessary!), cover pan and cook on slow heat for 25-35 minutes, stirring thoroughly once or twice during the cooking.

The cabbage should then be soft and golden all through. Draw aside, stir in the crumbs, herbs and eggs, and plenty of seasoning. Line a pudding basin with a piece of butter-muslin or clean cloth (Much easier just to use a plastic pudding basin with a lid, which doesn't need lining at all). Arrange the outside leaves in this, stalks uppermost.

Fill with the mixture (try to really pack it), fold over and tie the ends of the cloth as for a pudding (again this cloth stuff is irrelevant if using a plastic basin, I save one leaf and press on top of the mixture before putting the lid on).
Lift out of the basin, and plunge the cabbage into a pan of boiling salted water or vegetable stock (do not remove from the basin if it's the plastic one!! Also the salted water or stock is unnecessary because it won't get to the cabbage!).
Boil gently and steadily for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Lift out into a colander, drain well, untie the cloth, and turn the cabbage over on to a hot dish. (Just take the lid off and turn on to a plate) (While the cabbage is boiling in the basin, make the following sauce - I usually double the quantities):

Sauce Demi-glace (quick method) - (I've no idea what the long method is!)
1/2 oz. dripping or butter
3 shallots, finely chopped1 rasher of bacon, finely chopped (I don't use this but it adds extra flavour)
1 level dessertspoon flour
1 small teaspoon tomato puree
a few mushroom peelings
1/2 pint good stocksalt and pepper
1 teaspoon chopped mixed herbs
1/2 gill sherry (or if you don't have any, I use a glass of wine, red or white)
2 chopped mushrooms (the ones you used for the peelings)

Heat the dripping in a small saucepan, add the shallots and bacon, and cook slowly to a golden brown.

Add the flour and allow to colour.

Draw aside, add the puree, peelings, stock, and seasoning, bring to the boil, simmer 15 minutes.

Add the herbs, adjust seasoning, and boil for another 5 minutes.

Strain.

Reduce sherry in a saucepan to half, add the mushrooms, simmer 3-4 minutes.
Add the strained sauce, reboil, and simmer another 2-3 minutes. And that's it! Pour the sauce on top and have extra ready to serve.
Really quite long-winded, but worth it.