CABBAGE ROLLS

Cabbage rolls, AKA stuffed cabbage, are and excellent one dish meal. And in the colder weather they are a belly warming treat, great with a bit of sauce and some garlic bread.

     First off let me start by saying that I use my crock pot a lot. There are many recipes from before the time of slow cookers that require baking in a ceramic or other casserole for hours in the oven. And though I also use my fine Le Creuset casserole often, I have over the years adapted some recipes to the crock pot, which saves on my gas bill for one advantage. Rather than having my oven on for hours, I just have the cooker plugged in on the end of the counter. And it cooks slowly and evenly with a great result. Cabbage rolls is one thing I don’t even want to make anymore without a slow cooker.

     First I’m going to explain my procedure for making cabbage rolls, with some illustrating photos. Then I will have some recipes for various fillings which of course have to be made before you start to assemble the rolls.

     You want to use probably two medium cabbages with some decent darker green leaves left on the outside.

Wash your cabbages well, then using a good sharp paring knife cut the cores out by making a cone shaped cut around the stems.  Here I leave my cabbages raw and don’t blanch boil them yet as some people do. I do this mainly because I might not use the inner part of the cabbage, or all of it, at this time. And the rest of it I can store for another dish if it’s still uncooked.

Starting at the core side loosen each leaf, and then go to the top and peel it back pulling it off in gently in one, un-torn preferably, bowl shaped leaf. Repeat this one by one doing your best to keep each leaf in its shape. As you get into the cabbage it will be harder and some leaves will tear a bit but that’s OK, just as long as you have some in proper shapes for the outsides of your rolls. When you get to a point where you can get no more leaves off, and they are not bowl shaped any longer, set the cabbage center aside and go do the same with the second cabbage. You can keep the two cabbage centers left for another dish or chop them into the filling for the recipes that call for it. If you’re planning to use them another time put them in plastic and store in the crisper. Your filling should be made already unless it’s a recipe requiring the cabbage centers. If this is the case stack your little leaf bowls and store them in the fridge while you cook the filling.

When the filling is ready., start a stock pot of very salty water boiling. Once it is at a rolling boil, blanch the leaf bowls in the boiling water continuing to cook them for about 4-5 minutes, no longer. You want them just softened, but still holding their shape a bit.  a proper test for this is to hold an inverted leaf bowl on the end of your wooden spoon, if it holds its shape but is just starting to sag a bit its right. You can cook about 5 or 6 at a time stirring and dipping them down as they pop up the entire time.  Drain them slightly and set them in a bowl to cool just enough to handle.

     Get a medium strainer or colander and place it on top of another bowl. Line it with cheesecloth or I just use a thin clean cloth. Using the darkest and best shaped leaves as the outside place one of them in the strainer and line it with a few other lighter colored and more oddly shaped or torn leaves. Spoon your filling into the center of the leaves. I use a serving spoon that is about 4 tbsp. for one roll. Fold over the inner leaves to cover the filling then fold the outer leaves around that. 

Gather the tips of the cloth and twist them forcing the cabbage to roll inside to form a ball. They will drip just a bit and you want them to or you haven’t twisted enough. Carefully unroll the towel and you will find a perfectly shaped roll with the seams on top. 

Place the roll seem side down into the bottom of your crock, and continue doing so with additional rolls placing them snug against each other. The same cloth can be used over and over. When you have the bottom covered one layer deep, which for me usually is about when I’m running out of both leaves and filling if I start with two cabbages and two pounds of cooked meat filling.

     Place a heavy stoneware plate, that fits the roundness of the crock, over the rolls and press down slightly. Now you are going to add about three cups of hot beef, or chicken…broth or bouillon. Pour it carefully down the sides filling up the crock until you just cover the weight plate. If the plate floats you can add something to hold it down like a glass or stoneware ramekin filled with water. With the crock insert in your cooker, put the lid on and start up the cooker on low for 6 hours or high for 4.

When they are done carefully remove the plate and slowly drain off the broth. The rolls should be nice and tender as well as hold their shape completely. Serve them while hot with a little sauce or even alone if you have a tasty filling. Later they will also reheat well. I used to like to bring them for work lunches and eat them hot with just some saltines.

     Next you will find four possible fillings from very simple to more elaborate, then a post about sauces to accent the Cabbage rolls.

Blessings mes amis