Most cabbage varieties are suitable for brief boiling or 'blanching'. Blanching preserves the colour of the leaves while achieving a tender crunch.

Blanched cabbage leaves are useful for rolling and encasing foods – like Graham Campbell’s Vegetarian haggis – as the partial cooking of the leaves helps to make them more flexible.

Blanched, shredded cabbage is often tossed with butter, thyme or quickly pan-fried with some crispy pancetta. It is often served alongside braised and roasted meats such as oxtail, partridge or pork belly.