To make the braised cabbage, wash and dry the cabbage, sprinkle with salt and leave for 1 hour. Squeeze the excess water out of the cabbage, but don't wash. On the stove place a small pot and melt the butter in the oil. When it starts to foam add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook until soft. Add the cabbage and stir for 3 minutes, then add the palm sugar. Once the sugar caramelises, add the vinegar and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the white wine and turn down to a slow simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Scale and fillet the fish. Skin the fish. Cut the skin to fit the length of the fish and cover the two seams with the skin. Tie the fish at 2 cm intervals with kitchen string and trim the ends to form a square. Cut the fish in half, each half into 3, and set aside.
In a medium pot bring the red-wine reduction and veal stock to the boil. Lower the heat and reduce by two-thirds. Keep the sauce warm while you cook the fish.
Preheat the oven to 200C
Season the fish with salt and pepper. Heat some olive oil until almost smoking in a heavy-based frying pan. Add the fish and turn on all sides to colour. Transfer to a baking dish and place in the preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove and put in a warm place while you finish the sauce. It is very important to rest fish, just as you would meat, to allow it to relax and warm through to the centre.
In the same pan used for browning the fish, lightly saute the bacon and place with the fish. Heat up the cabbage.
Put the bone marrow in a pot of hot, but not boiling water. Warm the sauce a little more and mount with the butter whisking until the sauce falls from the whisk in ribbons. Check and adjust the seasoning.
Spoon the cabbage and a little juice into the centre of 6 large white bowls. Cut the string from the fish and place it on the cabbage. top with bacon and with a slotted spoon, remove the bone marrow and put it on top of the bacon. Pour over the sauce and serve. Or put the sauce in a sauce boat and allow diners to help themselves. this also stops the sauce and cabbage juices from running everywhere and mingling too early.
Method:
In a small saucepan pour in a little olive oil and add the carrot,
onion, mushrooms, garlic and meat trimmings. Cook until the vegetables
are lightly coloured and the meat is well sealed.
Add the two vinegars and reduce to barely 50ml. Pour in the port and reduce to about 50ml. Add the red wine and thyme and reduce to about 150ml to 200ml. Strain and reserve for use.