RECIPE - Creamed Napa Cabbage (Acelga com Creme)

This is a very Brazilian, and very un-Asian, vegetable dish starring acelga, or Napa cabbage, originally from Asia but now enthusiastically adopted as native in Brazil. A versatile member of the cabbage family, acelga is equally at home in salad and cooked-vegetable presentations, and Brazilians enjoy it both ways. In yesterday's post at Flavors of Brazil, we featured leafy acelga in a light salad, and here we're highlighting its use as a vegetable side dish - a perfect accompaniment to grilled or roasted meats and poultry.
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RECIPE - Creamed Napa Cabbage (Acelga com Creme)
Serves 4

1 whole egg, hard-boiled, at room temperature
4 (1 liter) water
1/2 large head Napa cabbage (acelga)
1 cup whole milk
2 tsp corn starch
2 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley
paprika to taste
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Peel the egg and separate the yolk and the whites. Reserve.

Coarsely chop the Napa cabbage. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. When the water comes to the boil, drop the chopped cabbage into the water for 10 seconds only, then immediately drain into a colander and refresh with cold water. Reserve.

Put 3/4 cup of the milk into a medium mixing bowl, and 1/4 cup into a small bowl. Stir the cornstarch into the milk in the small bowl, and when it has dissolved, add to the milk in the larger bowl and stir to mix completely. Reserve.

In a large frying pan or wok, heat the vegetable oil and when it's hot, add the drained cabbage. Stir fry for no more than 2 minutes, or just until the cabbage is heated and beginning to wilt. Add the milk, reduce heat slightly and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened. Stir in the grated Parmesan and 1 Tbsp of the parsley, then remove from heat.

Pour the creamed cabbage into a deep serving bowl. Using a small sieve held over the dish, push the egg yolk through the sieve to sprinkle the center of the dish. Rinse the sieve and then push the white through the sieve around the edges of the dish. Sprinkle the surface with the second Tbsp Italian parsley and paprika to taste. Serve hot.