Italian Stuffed Cabbage

Despite the fact that it's spring, tomorrow's forecast is predicting a 15-25 cm snowfall in mid April!  Instead of getting super bummed by the snow and the slushy streets I decided to reflect back and share a winter comfort food recipe.

I only tasted stuffed cabbage rolls about 2 or 3 years ago after tasting it in an Eastern European restaurant in the Old Port.  I really liked the concept and thought it was delicious.  I tried the recipe at home about 2 years ago and found it to be quite time consuming but definitely worth it.  This winter, I came across this recipe and really liked the idea that the tomato sauce was a simple savoury Italian sauce rather the classic sweet and sour sauce.  I also thought that the Italian sausage meat added a nice flavouring to the overall dish.  I made this with the help of a friend and an extra pair of hands is really helpful for prepping the cabbage and making the rolls.  I paired this dish with its classic sides of mashed potatoes and yummy pierogi with sour cream.

NB: I doubled the recipe and it was perfect to fill a large dutch oven.  Since I was stacking the cabbage rolls, I lined the bottom of the dutch oven with some blanched cabbage leaves to avoid burning or scorching the rolls.  Only the cabbage rolls on the top needed to be flipped over halfway through cooking.

Italian Stuffed Cabbage
Makes approximately 12 cabbage rolls, serving 4-6 servings

Ingredients
1 large savoy cabbage
7-ounce (200grams) hunk of bread, crusts cut away, torn into small scraps (about 3 loose cups )
2/3 cup (approximately 150ml) whole milk
2-3 sweet Italian pork sausages (approximately 250 grams), casings removed
1/2 lb (approximately 250 grams) lean ground meat
1 small sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup of finely diced onion
1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes

Prepare Cabbage:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Discard any messy or broken outer cabbage leaves and carefully peel 12 nice, large leaves. Blanch leaves for about 30 seconds to 1 minute (you can do 2 or 3 at a time), until wilted, and spread out on towels so that they dry and cool.

Make Filling:
Place bread scraps in bottom of large bowl and pour milk over.  Let sit for a few minutes, then mash it gently with a spoon until something close to a paste forms.  Mix with sausage, meat, rosemary, parmesan and a pinch or two of salt and black pepper; I find this easiest with a fork or bare hands.

Make the Cabbage Rolls:
Lay your first cabbage leaf on the counter.  If it doesn't want to lay flat, pare away some of the thickest stalk (with a paring knife cut out a triangle to remove the stalk) to make it easier.  Scoop two tablespoons of the filling mixture in the center of the cabbage leaf (while placing cut-out stalk facing you) and fold sides then tuck in filling and roll cabbage away from you.  This should form a log shape.  Repeat with the remaining leaves and mixture.

Make the Sauce:
To prepare your tomatoes, either break them up with your hands (for a bigger chunks), run them through a food mill or roughly chop them right in their can with scissors.  In a dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until softened, approximately 4-5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds (just until golden, not a moment longer) then add the tomatoes, bring the sauce to a gentle boil.  Season with salt if needed.  Add cabbage rolls, arranging them carefully in the pot so they all fit, cover the pot and gently simmer them for 25 minutes.  Carefully turn the rolls over, cooking them for another 25 minutes.  Remove the lid and simmer for another 10 minutes to cook off some of the wetness.  They're all cooked now, but if you can rest them for another 15 minutes before eating them, the flavors settle and they become even better.

Source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen