Servings: 2 to 4

1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, or sunflower oil 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, or sunflower oil
 
250g white cabbage 250g white cabbage
 
200g (1 large) red pepper 200g (1 large) red pepper
 
2–4 garlic cloves 2 to 4 garlic cloves
 
bunch of dill, leaves and stalks, chopped bunch of dill, leaves and stalks, chopped
 
100g (1 medium) onion 100g (1 medium) onion
 
1 large egg, separated 1 large egg, separated
 
325g pack of puff pastry 325g pack of puff pastry
 
plain flour, to dust plain flour, to dust
 
4 heaped tbsp tomato paste 4 heaped tbsp tomato paste
 
a little milk, if needed a little milk, if needed
 
sea salt sea salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
Rub the softened butter or oil all over the base and sides of a 25 x 15cm baking dish. If you don’t have one with those dimensions, don’t be discouraged, it will work with slightly different-sized tins (as long as it’s not too large).
Slice the cabbage as finely as you can and put it in a bowl. Feed the core to your children or yourself (it’s so sweet!). Cut the pepper in half, scoop out the seeds and slice it as finely as you can, then add it to the cabbage. Slice the garlic finely and put it in with the cabbage and peppers. Add the dill.
Slice the onion in half and then very finely into half moons. Do really try to slice this as fine as possible - the thinner the better - but there’s no need for a mandolin (they are evil and should be banned). Keep the onion separate from the cabbage, as it can release water and make your pie soggy.
Now add the egg white to the cabbage mixture (so as not to waste it) and mix gently but thoroughly. You can use a spoon, but I use my hand as it’s more efficient and satisfying.
Mix sea salt through the cabbage mixture just before you’re ready to fill and bake the pie, otherwise too much water will leach out; 1 scant tbsp of it is good. I know it sounds like a lot, but it needs to be seasoned properly, or the whole thing will be insipid.
You now need to roll the pastry out slightly on a well-floured surface, to make it a bit bigger, the whole sheet should measure 30 x 25cm. Cut it in half to get two 25 x 15cm rectangular sheets. Put one sheet of the pastry in the buttered pie dish, with some of it going up the sides, so you can seal the edges with the other half of the pastry later.
Brush the tomato paste on the bottom pastry sheet and scatter over the raw onion. I strongly advise you follow this step: I did once mix the tomato paste, onion and cabbage together and it didn’t work: it tasted different to Nina’s and also made everything soggy. Put the seasoned cabbage mixture on top and cover with the other half of the pastry, pinching the edges to enclose and seal.
Glaze the top of the pie with the egg yolk. If my eggs are small, I add a little milk to the yolk to make it stretch further and be easier to brush; 1 tbsp will do. Prick all over the top of the pastry with a fork.
Cook on the middle shelf of the oven for 50 minutes. As always, do check on it halfway through, especially if your oven has hot spots, and rotate the dish to get it golden evenly. If at any point you feel like the top is becoming too dark, you can always cover it loosely with foil. The top should be dark golden when ready. The filling will be cooked but still fresh. I like eating this once it cools down. Once it cools and sets, it makes for a good lunch or travel snack.