While so much of the contemporary built environment – ripped-out ritzed-up glassed over

While so much of the contemporary built environment – ripped-out, ritzed-up, glassed over – urges upon us the accelerating transitoriness of our era, a tremendous modernist ruin such as Battersea stops us in our tracks with the revelation that now, too, is the immemorial.It helps that the achy blue sky over Stockwell is smeared with contrails and blotted with nimbus on the morning I cycle from my house down to the Power Station. Chinese greens such as pak choi, choi sum, mustard greens and Chinese cabbages are easier to come by than they used to be. In fact they’re beginning to rival our native cabbages in popularity And it’s easy to see why. Cover with the hot stock, and cook with the lid on for 45 minutes.To serve, reheat the sauce, drain the stock from the cabbage, place the stuffed cabbage on a dish and pour the sauce around If you’re having it as a main course, serve with mash.. Remove the clingfilm from the cabbage and put them into an ovenproof dish.

Add the lentils, check seasoning and continue to simmer for 15 minutes before putting to one side.Pre-heat the oven to 200C/Gas mark 6. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.Drain the lentils and put them into a pan, covered with lightly salted boiling water Simmer for 10 minutes and drain. Meanwhile gently cook the onion, garlic, leek and carrot in the butter for 2-3 minutes until soft.Add the tomato pur?and flour, stir well, then gradually add the red wine and beef stock Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Lay the leaves on a board and spoon the pork mixture evenly between them.

Fold the leaves into neat balls then wrap a piece of clingfilm round each, gathering the ends up and twisting it into a tight ball. Remove the thick middle veins with a sharp knife leaving the leaves intact. Leave to cool then mix with the pork mixture and mace, and season.Meanwhile cook the cabbage leaves in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon into a bowl of cold water Transfer to some kitchen paper and dry well. A classic, hearty French peasant dish that’s something of a rarity these days.

Here the cabbage acts as a casing for the pork filling, which you can change according to your taste (using minced chicken and chicken livers, for example) or make completely vegetarian with a filling of, say, chopped wild mushrooms, onions, herbs and breadcrumbs. Add the white wine, vinegar, potato and cabbage and the strained liquid the meat was cooked in.Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, then cover with a lid and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every so often. There shouldn’t be much liquid left, just some natural, slightly thickened cooking liquid. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.To serve, reheat the meats in the cooking liquid, transfer the cabbage to a large serving dish and spoon the meats over it Serve with some good strong mustard and drink beer.. Gently cook the onions in the vegetable oil in a thick-bottomed pan for 4-5 minutes with the caraway, mustard seeds, bay and juniper, until soft.