Croatian Sarma Recipe Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Food

SARMA (STUFFED CABBAGE)

Steps:

• Place cabbage in the freezer for a few days. The night before making the rolls, take it out to thaw.
• In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, ham, rice, onion, egg, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well. Form meat mixture into oblong balls, using 1/2 cup of the mixture at a time. Then, wrap a cabbage leaf around each ball.
• Spread the sauerkraut in the bottom of a large pot, then layer cabbage rolls on top, placing them seam-side down. Pour tomato juice over rolls, then add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 3 hours, adding more water as necessary.

CROATIAN SARMA RECIPE (STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS)

Steps:

• Take an entire pickled cabbage head. You'll find these on Amazon or in European delicatessens in the chilled section. Wash each leaf thoroughly. Remove the thick part of the stem without tearing the leaves. It's best to allow the leaves to drain on some paper towel or pat each one dry
• Take a large mixing bowl, and combine mincemeat, speck, garlic, parsley leaves, soda water or bicarbonate soda, rice, Vegeta, hot paprika (optional), sweet paprika (optional), breadcrumbs (optional), Salt and pepper, egg & olive oil
• Mix all of the ingredients until well combined
• You want each of the leaves to be about the same size so that each cabbage roll cooks at the same time. So go ahead and cut any large leaves in half, and also join two smaller leaves together as you go
• Take approx 3 tablespoons of the minced meat, and gently combine in the palm of your hand. Do not roll or compress as this will make them too dense when you eat them
• Place the meat on the edge of the cabbage leaf and roll away from you. Then tuck in the sides of the leaf gently into the meat. There should be no exposed meat. If there is, remove some of the filling
• Set the sarma aside, and prepare the sauce
• In a shallow saucepan, or even better, a Le Creuset cast-Iron dish, splash in some extra virgin olive oil, add the 2 diced onions and cook until transparent on low heat. Then add the 2 diced carrots, diced speck, and parsley. Continue to fry on low heat until carrots start to soften
• Add the shredded sauerkraut and create a layer on the bottom of the saucepan. Now, pack the Croatian sarma into the saucepan. They should be packed close together.
• Pour in boiling water so that it just covers the sarma. Add the passata and a pinch of salt and pepper. Every 20 minutes, give the saucepan a shake (do not stir them or they will break) and let them simmer for 2 hours on a low-medium heat

SARMA - BOSNIAN STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES

Steps:

• Separate the cabbage leaves, being careful not to tear them.
• Mix meat, rice, onion, salt, pepper, and paprika.
• Place about a tablespoon or more (use your own judgment based on the size of the leaves) of the meat mixture into each cabbage leaf, near its base.
• Begin rolling the leaf from the base into a thick cylinder, tucking in the sides after the first "roll."
• Layer the cylinders tightly into a medium-sized or large pot.
• Cover the sarma with beef stock or water (I find that if you use water, it makes its own broth anyways with the meat as it cooks).
• Cover the pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for at least three hours.
• Serve with butter and sour cream, with or without some of the cooking liquids according to your preference.
• *Boiled potatoes are often eaten with sarma, and they go quite well together.

SARMA (CABBAGE ROLLS)

Steps:

• Remove bruised leaves from cabbage and cut out center core.
• Pour boiling water over cabbages to soften.
• Meanwhile, sauté bacon and onion until bacon is done.
• Add half the tomato soup.
• Beat eggs and add salt, pepper, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, ground beef, pork and ham.
• Add bacon mixture and rice and mix thoroughly.
• Separate cabbage leaves and drain.
• Place heaping tablespoon of stuffing at core end of each cabbage leaf and roll carefully, tucking in ends.
• Place rolls in layers in Dutch oven or heavy kettle.
• Chop small unused leaves and place over to.
• Pour remaining soup and add enough water to cover rolls.
• Cover and simmer 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

GRANDMA MILKAS SODOMA, CROATIAN [CABBAGE ROLLS]

Steps:

• Place cabbage in a large pot, If you take the time to core the cabbage it will be easier to remove the leaves.
• Fill pot with water until the cabbage is floating. Set temperature to low boil.
• Finely dice the onion and the garlic.
• In a large bowl, combine rice,onion, garlic, hamburger, pork sausage,salt, pepper.
• Mix thoroughly, and form into two inch balls.
• Carefully remove cabbage leaves,.
• With the bottom of the leaf towards you, place a ball on the leaf and roll leaf one comlpete roll, then tuck the sides of the leaf in and continue rolling.
• Place all of the balls on a cookie sheet.
• When all of the balls are rolled, remove cabbage from water, Save the water.
• Chop up the remaining cabbage.
• You can either use the largest pot you have or a roaster oven, which is what I prefer.
• Place bag of sauerkraut on the bottom, add all of the balls, place remaining bag of sauerkraut on top, add the cabbage you chopped up.
• Pour in the water you saved from boiling the cabbage.
• Set Temp to low boil.
• Cook for three hours, the longer it cooks the better it tastes.

SARMA (CROATIAN SAUERKRAUT ROLLS)

Steps:

• Take the whole sauerkraut head and remove leaves carefully avoiding damaging them. 1500 g should give about 20 to 25 sarmas. Cut the thick part at the bottom of each leaf (cut it triangularly).
• Mix grounded beef, pork and bacon. Add two eggs and very finely minced onion. Cook rice until half done and add into meat. Add salt, pepper and mix hard.
• Take leaf of sauerkraut and put meat in it and make a small package making sure to close ends. I don't know how to explain it but you have to press leaf end into. Do it until you have enough meat or leaves.
• Take a really large pot and start to put sarmas in it. At the bottom put smoked bacon skins if you have any, than one layer of sarmas, one layer bacon or pork ribs. Also add sliced sauerkraut in between. After you lay all sarmas and bacon, ribs and sliced sauerkraut, pour 2 cups of brine over everything (this is optional, my family like really sour sauerkraut that's why I've put it).
• Cook for about 1 hour on mild fire. Some people, and I'm among them like to add this: take small pan, melt lard and fry flour until brownish - add paprika and some cold water and make creamy stuff (we call this "ajmbren"). Add this into sarma and cook 2 to 3 hours.
• The best sarma in the next day, not the day you've cooked it. You can eat sarma up to whole week; you can also freeze portions. We eat cooked potato on lard and onion with it called "restani krumpir".

CROATIAN SARMA SOUP (STUFFED CABBAGE SOUP)

Steps:

• Cook turkey bacon in frying pan until crisped, remove from pan to drain on paper towels. Crumble and set aside.
• Add ground beef to pan and brown in turkey bacon drippings until almost cooked through.
• Add diced onion and cook 4-5 minutes until onions are transparent.
• Add garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
• Drain meat mixture on paper towel lined plate.
• Place all ingredients, including meat mixture and turkey bacon, in a large pot and cook over medium heat until it boils. Turn heat down and cook for at least one hour, stirring occasionally. Add a little water if it gets too thick for your liking. I cook mine 2-3 hours.