Rozanne Gold's My Mother Marion's Cabbage and Noodles

          This was my comfort dish growing up and I'm sure will continue to be when growing old!  My beautiful Hungarian mother, Marion Gold, perfected the dish that she, too, ate as a child. It is radically simple to make.

          1 very large head green cabbage

          1 stick unsalted butter

          12 ounces wide egg noodles

          Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

          Cut the cabbage in half and remove the core.  With a sharp knife, shred the cabbage very thin.  Place in a large colander and sprinkle heavily with kosher salt, using your hands to coat it.

           Cover with a plate and put a heavy object on top to weight the cabbage down (a water-filed tea kettle is perfect.) Put the colander in the sink and let the liquid drain. Let sit for 3 to 4 hours.  Rinse the cabbage. Press down hard and squeeze with your hands to extract as much water as possible. 

           Melt the butter in a very large skillet and add the cabbage.  Cook over medium-high for 45 minutes until the cabbage is dark golden brown.  It will shrink considerably.  Lower the heat if necessary so the cabbage does not burn.  Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender. 

           Drain the noodles well and place in a warm bowl.  Add the hot cabbage and toss together so that the noodles are completed integrated with the cabbage.

           Add salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.