голубці (Holubtsi)
Serves 4 or more
Ingredients
2 cabbage 2 small heads
110g/1/2cup rice, any type
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 onion large, chopped
1 lbs ground beef I used 5% fat
1 lbs ground pork I used 5% fat
25g/1/4 cup parsley chopped
2 carrots grated
2 tsp salt
0.5 tsp pepper
2-3 bay leaf
For the sauce
250ml/1 cup chicken stock
250ml/1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche full fat
500ml/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes/passata crushed or Passata- 2 cups
salt and pepper
Directions
Freeze the cabbages 3 days before you need it. The night before defrost cabbage and keep them in the fridge until you are ready.
Cook rice in plenty water the same way you would pasta until al dente for approximately 5 minutes after the water boils. It shouldn't be too soft. Drain and set aside.
In a frying pan heat olive oil and cook onions & tomato paste over low heat for 7-10 minutes until tender. For deeper flavor, can go longer.
Grate carrots. In a large bowl combine beef, pork, parsley, onions, carrots, rice, salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl whisk together stock, crushed tomatoes and creme fraiche, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Place your head of cabbage on a cutting board, cut off the bottom and pull the leaves away from the stalk. Repeat with the second head of cabbage.
Preheat your oven to 350F/180C.
Clear your work space, so all ingredients are within reach. Take a cabbage leaf and cut the rib down, so it's not too thick. Put 2 tbsp of filling at the bottom of the wide part of a leaf (see picture above) and roll it like a burrito, tucking sides in. Your cabbage rolls will vary in size slightly depending on the size of cabbage leaves. You will have approximately 30-32 cabbage rolls.
Pour a cup of the sauce on the bottom of your cast iron casserole or any other heavy bottom casserole and start stacking your cabbage rolls. Half way through add a couple of bay leaves and ⅓ of the sauce and continue stacking until all cabbage rolls are gone.
Pour the remaining sauce over cabbage rolls, cover with a lid and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Then take the lid off and bake for 30 more minutes. Serve with additional sour cream or creme fraiche and fresh herbs like dill and parsley.