Ingredients :

• The cabbage — A firm, medium-sized green cabbage. If you find Savoy cabbage — the crinkly, waffled-leaf variety — take that instead: its texture better clings to the sauce and it releases less water. Keep the core when cutting into wedges; it holds everything together during cooking.
• Heavy cream — No light cream here. You need at least 30% fat for the sauce to thicken properly instead of becoming watery. Liquid heavy cream from the supermarket works perfectly.
• Cheddar — Use aged cheddar, not the cheap fluorescent orange block. A 12-month cheddar has a much sharper taste that comes through even after cooking. And grate it yourself — we’ll talk more about that in the tips.
• Nutmeg — A few scrapes of the grater are enough. It disappears into the sauce but gives that warm depth you feel without really identifying it. With cream and cheese, it’s a combination that has worked every time for centuries.