Vegetarian Savoy Cabbage stew taken to the next level

Austrian former 3 Michelin star chef Eckart Witzigmann writes for a German yellow press magazine issue for years now. I have cooked several of his dishes in the past years.

I found a winter warmer dish with my favourite kind of cabbage - Savoy Cabbage. A vitamin bomb.
When I looked over the recipe the first time without taking too much time to really reading it, it sounded just like a simple pot of veg stew.

The details that are the spices and the herbs. They make it into something amazing. I added more caraway and a bit of thyme too.

I have never heard of roasted caraway seed butter - have you?
The finish with fresh dill and creme fraiche sounded like something done in Scandinavia, but it is not uncommon here too.

And leftover stew is good to go into the freezer. When reheated, take a stick blender and some cream and make a fine vegetable soup out of it. Your guests will love it.

recipe:
1/2 head of Savoy cabbage
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp oil
1 tbsp butter
400 g potato
1 medium onion
2 spring onions
3 cloves of garlic
2  bay leaves
1 large carrot
1/4 head celeriac
1/2 leek
2 parsley roots
1 bunch dill
150 g creme fraiche
1,2 l veg stock
dried thyme
grated nutmeg
salt and pepper

Use a small pan and a little oil and bring the caraway seeds to pop. Crush them on a plate and mix them with the butter and set aside.
Peel and chop all onions and garlic and put the bay leaves there too.
Peel and chop all veggies and potatoes.

Shred the cabbage after taking out the hard middle stem.
Boil a pot of veg stock.

Chop the dill and trow the stems into the veg pot, just take them out with the bay leaves before serving.
Mix the dill with the creme fraiche and some pepper and salt.

In a 6 l pot melt the caraway butter with a bit of oil and start the onions and the bay leaves.
Add the veggies and potatoes first, after a couple of minutes, the shredded cabbage.
Season with salt, pepper, thyme and some nutmeg.
Fill up with the stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook it for 45 min.

Fish out the bay leaves and the dill stalks and serve it with a good dollop of dill cream on top.