My daughter and her husband spent 2 1/2 years in Romania with the Peace Corps and ate a LOT of sarmale washed down with "sweeka" (homemade hooch). When I visited there every neighbor served me this dish. As a homey type meal this dish varies a little with every cook that makes it but I just couldn't get behind the flavor. When I visited my Hungarian relations soon after and ate our version, "tutu-capista" (phonetic spelling), at their home it was like visiting my grandparents again. Hearty cabbage stuffed with beef, pork, or lamb with a bit of chopped uncured bacon, wrapped into mini loaves then stewed in onions, tomatoes and all the leftover bits of cabbage that wern't used for wrappings. Set a crust of homemade bread with rich, yellow butter on the side and you are off to Hungarian heaven. The flavors of Hungarian stuffed cabbage are cleaner and fresher. The meat can also have rice or chopped potatoes added. My grandmother always added rice (big family). As kids, we competed to see who ate the most cabbage rolls at one sitting. While traveling I did learn a variation that Grandma didn't use. Top your steaming, beautiful plate with a big dollop of sour cream. It only gets better!
Sarmale (Stuffed Cabbage)
We've adapted this recipe by using fresh cabbage leaves rather than the more traditional pickled cabbage. To add a pleasant sourness to the dish, top the stuffed cabbage in the pot with 2 cups sauerkraut before baking, if you like.
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Credit: Landon Nordeman
1 large head green
cabbage, cored
1/2 cup long-grain rice
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive
oil
1/2 white onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 tbsp. dried bread crumbs
1/2 tbsp. sweet paprika
1/4 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
12 oz. ground beef
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed (optional)
8 sprigs fresh thyme
6 strips bacon (optional)
4 bay leaves
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes,
undrained and crushed
1/2 cup chicken stock
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cabbage and cook, pulling off each outer leaf with tongs as it becomes tender, about 2 minutes per leaf. Transfer cabbage leaves to a baking sheet; set aside and continue boiling cabbage until you have 20 leaves.
2. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan. Add rice and boil for 10 minutes. Drain rice; set aside. Heat oil in a 10" skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, about 8 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to a bowl along with the rice and let cool slightly. Add 1 tbsp. dill, bread crumbs, paprika, and chile flakes. Stir to combine. Using your hands, fold in beef and season with salt and pepper; set filling aside.
3. Heat oven to 375°. Set aside 4 whole cabbage leaves. Working with remaining cabbage leaves one at a time, stem each leaf and cut leaf into 4" square pieces. Repeat to make twenty-eight 4" square pieces. Spoon 1 tbsp. of reserved filling onto center of a square. Bring up 1 edge of square and roll into a cylinder, tucking in sides. Transfer stuffed cabbage to a 6-qt. Dutch oven. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling, arranging stuffed cabbage in a circular pattern in pot as you go. Finely chop any remaining cabbage; set aside. Top stuffed cabbage with remaining dill, along with sauerkraut, thyme, bacon, and bay leaves. Top with minced cabbage leaves and tomatoes and pour in stock and 1/2 cup water. Cover with the reserved whole cabbage leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, transfer to oven, and bake until stuffed cabbage is tender and flavors meld, about 2 hours. Let cool slightly before serving.
SERVES 6
Pairing note: Sharp, ripe Ramnista Ktima Kir-Yianni 2006 ($30), a red xinomavro from Macedonia, matches the bold flavors in this dish.
Ratings & Reviews (1)
Sarmale (Stuffed Cabbage)
Reviewed by EAT TO LIVE on
.
My daughter and her husband spent 2 1/2 years in Romania with the Peace Corps and ate a LOT of sarmale washed down with "sweeka" (homemade hooch). When I visited there every neighbor served me this dish. As a homey type meal this dish varies a little with every cook that makes it but I just couldn't get behind the flavor. When I visited my Hungarian relations soon after and ate our version, "tutu-capista" (phonetic spelling), at their home it was like visiting my grandparents again. Hearty cabbage stuffed with beef, pork, or lamb with a bit of chopped uncured bacon, wrapped into mini loaves then stewed in onions, tomatoes and all the leftover bits of cabbage that wern't used for wrappings. Set a crust of homemade bread with rich, yellow butter on the side and you are off to Hungarian heaven. The flavors of Hungarian stuffed cabbage are cleaner and fresher. The meat can also have rice or chopped potatoes added. My grandmother always added rice (big family). As kids, we competed to see who ate the most cabbage rolls at one sitting. While traveling I did learn a variation that Grandma didn't use. Top your steaming, beautiful plate with a big dollop of sour cream. It only gets better!
Rating:
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