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Christine Cushing’s Cabbage Rolls

Christine Cushing's Cabbage Rolls
Yields
16 servings

Most Eastern European cuisines have their own version of a cabbage roll. This is my version. The smoked kielbasa adds loads of flavour. Serve the cabbage rolls with sour cream or sautéed sauerkraut.

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ingredients

Tomato Sauce

1
small onion, minced
2
clove garlic, minced
1
medium carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1
tsp smoked paprika (5 ml)
2
to 3 bay leaves
Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 28
oz can plum tomatoes, crushed with juice or pureed (798 ml)
½
cup chicken stock (125 ml)

Cabbage Rolls

2
Tbsp olive oil (30 ml)
1
small onion, minced
2
clove garlic, minced
16
large cabbage leaves, green
1
cup long grain rice (250 ml)
1
lb(s) ground veal (454 gm)
1
lb(s) ground beef (454 gm)
2
tsp paprika (10 ml)
¼
cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Assembly

Smoked kielbasa
Oil, for the baking dish
Cabbage leaves, to line the baking dish and cover the cabbage rolls
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directions

Step 1

Add olive oil to skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add carrot, smoked paprika and bay leaves. Add plum tomatoes and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes just so flavours start to meld. The tomato sauce will be a little loose – that’s okay the rice in the cabbage rolls will absorb some of the liquid.

Step 2

Add olive oil to sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

Step 3

To loosen the cabbage leaves off the cabbage, blanch in boiling water. Tear off the leaves of the cabbage as they become pliable. If necessary, further blanch the cabbage leaves in boiling salted water until pliable, about 2 minutes. Remove and pat dry. Cut out the hard rib from each leaf.

Step 4

To make the cabbage roll filling, mix the cooled onion mixture, the rice, ground veal, ground beef, paprika and parsley in a large bowl. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly until well incorporated.

Step 5

To roll the cabbage roll: place a cabbage leaf in front of you, rib side facing you. Place 2 tbsp. of the filling in the centre. Roll up the cabbage leaf, tucking in ends.

Step 6

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 7

Oil an 8×12-inch baking dish or Dutch oven. Layer some of the remaining cabbage leaves into the bottom of the baking dish. (Just so the cabbage rolls don’t stick to the bottom.)

Step 8

Tightly fit a layer of cabbage rolls on top of the cabbage leaves in the baking dish.
Top with some smoked kielbasa. Cover and bake until rice is cooked through and meat is tender, about 1½ hours. Makes 16 cabbage rolls.

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