Stuffed Cabbage

This is one of Julia Child's recipes. When I was in graduate school, I lived right across the street from Julia on Irving Street in Cambridge. She invited me a few times to her home and I would see her daily on the street walking with her husband Paul. I used to pore over her cook books and make her recipes. This one is one of those that stays with you year after year. Sometimes I make this as one big meat loaf stuffed with cabbage and other times I make individual stuffed cabbages. Mostly, I use our own pork and Mermaid Farm veal for this, but whatever your method or meat choice, this is a good recipe.

1 1/2 lbs savoy cabbage2 Tablespoons olive oil1 cup onion, chopped1 cup celery, cut into 1/2 inch dice2 Tablespoons minced garlic2 tsp caraway seeds2 teaspoon ground coriander1 teaspoon green cardamom1/4 cup chicken stock1 1/4 cups cooked wild rice1 lb ground beef or pork and veal mixture

For the sauce:2 Tablespoons olive oil1 1/2 cups onions, chopped1 cup celery, cut into 1/2 inch dice1 cup carrot, cut into 1/2 inch dice3 cups canned whole tomatoes, drained and chopped3 bay leaves¼ cup light brown sugar1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon nutmeg1 teaspoon allspice1 cup chicken stock1 cup white wine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Remove the outermost leaves from the cabbage; blanch in boiling, salted water to soften. Rinse the blanched leaves in cold water, then drain, and let dry. Remove some of the tough rib of each leaf by cutting the rib in a V and removing.

Core the remainder of cabbage and chop inner leaves into 1 inch pieces so that you have about 2 cups; wash and set aside.

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat; add onion and celery and sauté until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and chopped cabbage, cook another minute or so while tossing and stirring.

Season with salt, pepper, caraway, and coriander.

Pour in stock, cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid evaporates and vegetables are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes

Place vegetables in a mixing bowl and allow to cool. Add cooked rice and ground meat, add spices and mix together.

To make the sauce, in a oven proof pot, on the stove top and heat over medium high heat; add oil, onion, celery, and carrots and sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, sugar, spices, wine and stock, Then add salt and pepper, and bay leaves; cover and simmer on low while you stuff the cabbage. Be sure to taste and adjust seasonings to your palate.

Individually wrap or stuff a cabbage with about a golf ball size of meat that has been formed into a rectangle. Carefully wrap the cabbage around and tuck the end side down and place them in the casserole dish seams side down. Pour the sauce over the cabbage and cover with foil.  Bake for 70 minutes.

Or if you wish to make a large loaf:

Lay a large square of aluminum foil flat on your work surface.

Place the four largest cabbage leaves on the foil; they should overlap and form a circle with the ends on the outside of the circle.

Spread 1/3 of the stuffing on top, leaving about a 2 or 3 inch margin all around.

Repeat using the next largest leaves and another 1/3 of the stuffing; then layer with the smallest leaves and remainder of the stuffing.

Then using the foil, reshape the cabbage into it's original ball shape. Lift the corners and outside edges of the foil, and bring toward the center, so that the bottom layers of cabbage come up and sort of cover the smaller leaf layers.

Keep pressing and forming into a ball, you will have a small opening at the top of the foil. This will be the bottom of the loaf.

Pour the sauce over the casserole dish and invert the cabbage ball and place into the sauce with the opening down. Bake for 2 hours.

Once done, remove cabbage to a serving platter. Pierce the foil and gently remove, from around and under, without disturbing the shape of the cabbage. Cut into wedges to serve; spoon sauce over or serve on side.

Photo Credit:  Karen