Cabbage Stuffed with Snails
Credit: Galilea Nin
Farcellets de Col Farcits de Cargols, Calamars i Salsa de Mar i Muntanya
Farcellets de col (literally, little bundles of cabbage) are usually either cabbage rolls stuffed with ground pork or pork and cabbage dumplings. This is Jean Luc Figueras's "mar i muntanya" variation.
2 1/2cups fish and shellfish stock (see recipe, page 85)
2 1/2 cups demi-glace (see page 88)
1 cup canned shelled snails, drained, rinsed, and minced (see page 88)
3 tbsp. dry fine bread crumbs
3 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
1/2 small shallot, peeled and minced
1/2 small clove garlic, peeled and minced
Leaves of 1 sprig parsley, minced
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large savoy cabbage leaves
1 tbsp. olive oil
6 small squid, cleaned, halved lengthwise, and cut into I"-wide strips
2 chives, chopped
6 small sprigs chervil
1. Combine stock and demi-glace in a heavy medium saucepan and gently boil over medium heat until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, 1–1 1/2 hours. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Put snails, bread crumbs, 1 tbsp. of the butter, shallots, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste into a medium bowl and stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
3. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and blanch cabbage leaves for 45 seconds. Transfer leaves to a bowl of ice water. Drain leaves and pat dry with paper towels. Cut out and discard ribs from leaves, then cut leaves into eighteen 3" squares. Lay cabbage leaves out on a clean surface, put about 2 tsp. of the snail mixture in center of each leaf, then wrap leaf around filling to form a neat bundle. Transfer cabbage bundles to a steamer basket, cover, and steam over a pot of simmering water over medium heat until heated through, about 12 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, return pan with reduced stock to medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cut remaining butter into small pieces. Add 1 piece of butter at a time to stock, whisking thoroughly after each addition until sauce is glossy. Keep sauce warm over lowest heat.
5. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Season squid with salt to taste and cook, turning strips once, until just cooked through, about 15 seconds per side.
6. Divide sauce between 6 warm wide bowls. Put 3 cabbage bundles on top of sauce in each bowl and top with equal amounts of squid . Sprinkle squid with chives and garnish each bowl with a sprig of chervil.
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