Stuffed cabbage
A whole cabbage is stuffed with a rich meaty filling and cooked gently for 2 hours until tender.
For this recipe you will need a 6 pieces of clean muslin.
Ingredients
For the stuffed cabbage
- 1 large Savoy cabbage, cored and outer leaves discarded
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 30g/1oz butter
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 350g/12oz veal mince
- 100g/3½oz belly pork mince
- 1 handful dried and smoked Porcini or fresh morel mushrooms
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 free-range egg
- 1 free-range egg yolk
- pinch ground all spice
- pinch ground coriander
- pinch ground nutmeg
For the stock
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 head celery
- 2–3 cloves
- 2–3 sprigs tarragon
- 2 bay leaves
- 200g/7oz smoked bacon skin
- 1 garlic bulb, cut in half horizontally
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4–5 tbsp olive oil, to serve
Method
Blanch the cabbage leaves in boiling salted water for 1–2 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan and gently fry the onion and garlic until soft and translucent.
Transfer the cooked cabbage to a large bowl filled with ice-cold water. When the cabbage is cool, cut six of the leaves into large circles. Cut out six slightly smaller circles and another six smaller again.
Mix the fried onions with all the remaining ingredients to make the stuffing. Season with salt and pepper.
To stuff the cabbage, lay one of the largest cabbage circles on a board and spread with some of the stuffing mixture. Place the next size on top and repeat with the stuffing. Finally add a small circle and more stuffing. Gather the leaves into a ball and wrap in muslin securing the ball with string. Repeat with the remaining circles of cabbage.
Add all the stock ingredients to a stock pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the cabbage. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove the cabbage balls from the muslin and serve with the stock and a good, peppery olive oil.
