Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan) and get a baking tray ready. Remove any loose leaves from the sweetheart cabbage, leave the stalk on and cut it into wide wedges.
For the glaze, stir the miso with the melted butter, maple syrup, sesame oil and soy sauce until smooth. The mixture should be creamy and easy to spread.
Lay the cabbage wedges on the tray and brush the cut sides with the miso glaze. This helps the cabbage take on colour in the oven.
Bake the sweetheart cabbage at 200 °C for 15 min, then carefully turn it and brush with the remaining glaze. Cook for another 10 min, until the outer leaves are dark and crisp and the core is soft.
Meanwhile, briefly toast the sesame seeds if they aren't toasted yet. This gives them a nuttier flavour.
Take the baked sweetheart cabbage out of the oven and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and chilli flakes. Best served warm straight away.
Good to know
In the oven, sweetheart cabbage turns surprisingly tender and crisp at the same time. The glaze brings depth, roasted flavour and just the right salty sweetness.
Swaps
Butter → ghee (less lactose and handles high heat); maple syrup → date paste (unrefined sweetness plus a little fibre); soy sauce → tamari (often gluten-free, similar seasoning); sesame oil → olive oil (more monounsaturated fats)
Allergens
Contains soya, milk and sesame. For children, leave out the chilli flakes; during pregnancy, the dish is usually fine as long as the miso and butter are fresh and stored correctly. Contains: gluten (soy sauce).
