Dutch oven or a deeper pan large enough to hold the rolls in a single layer
Ingredients
1large Savoy cabbage
2ozday-old white bread60 g
14ozground meata mixture of beef and pork, 400 g
1small onion
2teaspoonsmustard
1pinchof sweet paprika powder
2tablespoonsvegetable oil
2cupsbeef or chicken stock500 ml
1cupwhole milk250 ml
2tablespoonscornstarch
fine sea salt and pepper
potatoes to serve
Instructions
Prepare leaves:
Boil water: Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Cabbage leaves: In the meantime, remove the wilted outer leaves from the Savoy cabbage and carefully remove the leaves by cutting them off the core. The recipe will make 8 rolls, but you will need to prepare more leaves; you will sometimes need 2 or 3 leaves to form a roll.
Blanch cabbage leaves: When the water boils, add some salt and blanch the leaves until wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Drain well. Pat them dry with kitchen paper before filling them.
Filling:
Soak the white bread in a little warm water. Chop the onion very finely.
Combine filling: Place the ground meat, onion, mustard, sweet paprika powder, salt, and pepper into a bowl and mix well. Squeeze the bread well to remove the excess moisture, and add it to the bowl as well. Mix everything very well together.
Fill and roll:
Lay one large Savoy cabbage leaf on the working surface. If the leaves are too small or broken, overlap 2 or 3 cabbage leaves.
Fill: Divide the filling into 8 portions and form 8 cabbage rolls. Place some filling onto the middle-lower part of the leaf, fold the right and left sides over the filling, and roll the parcel starting at the base. Place them seam down on a plate.Repeat to form all the rolls.
Tip: Some people bind the rolls with cooking string. You could do it if you are unsure that the rolls will hold their shape, but I've never done it, it always worked well.
Cook:
Heat the oil in a pan large enough to hold all the rolls in one layer.
Fry the rolls on all sides; they should be golden brown all over.
Simmer: Pour the stock into the pan, cover, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer the cabbage rolls for about 25 minutes.
In the meantime, cook the potatoes in salted water.
Keep warm: When the cabbage rolls are cooked, carefully remove them from the pot. Place them on a platter and keep them warm.
Sauce:
Add the milk to the cooking liquid in the pan. Bring to a boil.
Cornstarch slurry: In the meantime stir the cornstarch with a little water to form a paste. Slowly pour into the pot while whisking continuously.
Let bubble a couple of times. Add some gratings of nutmeg and adjust the taste with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately with boiled potatoes.
Notes
The nutrition is calculated including the sauce but not the potatoes.