Flooshs Stuffed Cabbage Food

POLISH STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Place the head of cabbage in a large pot over high heat and add water to cover. Boil cabbage for 15 minutes, or until it is pliable and soft. Drain and allow to cool completely. Remove the hard outer vein from the leaves.
• In a separate large bowl, combine the beef, rice, garlic powder and the egg, mixing well. Place a small amount, about the size of your palm, into the center of a cabbage leaf and fold leaf over, tucking in the sides of the leaf to keep meat mixture inside.
• Pile up the filled leaves in a large pot, putting the larger leaves on the bottom. Add the tomato juice, vinegar and sugar and enough water to cover. Simmer over medium low heat for about 60 minutes. (Note: Keep an eye on them, making sure the bottom of leaves do not burn.)

JACQUES' STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Remove the 12 outermost leaves from the cabbage; blanch for a few minutes in boiling, salted water to soften.
• Rinse blanched leaves in cold water, then drain, and let dry; cut out a v-shaped "notch" to remove some of the tough rib of each leaf, set aside.
• Core remainder of cabbage and chop inner leaves into 1 inch pieces so that you have about 2 cups; wash and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat; add onion and celery and saute, while tossing and stirring, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add garlic and cabbage, cook another minute or so while tossing and stirring.
• Season with salt, pepper, caraway, and coriander, if using.
• Pour in stock, cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid evaporates and vegetables are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes (if too much liquid remains, simply remove cover and continue cooking).
• Remove vegetables to a mixing bowl and allow to cool; add cooked rice and ground beef, mix well (with hands).
• Be sure mixture is well seasoned as this is the stuffing (to test, fry a small amount in butter to taste seasonings).
• To make the sauce, set a casserole, or other oven proof pot, on the stove top and heat over medium high heat; add oil, onion, celery, and carrots.
• Saute until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in tomatoes, salt and pepper, and bay leaves; cover and simmer on low while you stuff the cabbage.
• Okay, now the fun part, stuffing the cabbage (this is a Jacques Pepin exclusive method that Julia Child found utterly charming and much easier than the traditional method): Lay a large square of aluminum foil flat on your work surface.
• Place the four largest cabbage leaves on the foil; they should overlap and form a circle with the "notch" on the outside of the circle.
• Spread 1/3 of the stuffing on top, leaving about a 2 or 3 inch margin all around.
• Repeat using the next largest leaves and another 1/3 of the stuffing; then layer with the smallest leaves and remainder of the stuffing.
• Now you are going to use the foil to reshape the cabbage into it's original ball shape, no, seriously.
• Lift the corners and outside edges of the foil, and bring toward the center, so that the bottom layers of cabbage come up and sort of cover the smaller leaf layers.
• Keep pressing and forming into a ball, you will have a small opening at the top of the foil.
• Pour wine and stock into the casserole with the sauce; invert the cabbage ball and place into the sauce with the opening DOWN.
• Bring to a boil, over high heat, cover and place in center of preheated oven.
• Cook 2 hours.
• Once done, remove cabbage to a serving platter; this can be accomplished, heh heh heh, with one of those wire pasta thingys, or a heavy spatula (the opening should still be down).
• Pierce the foil and gently remove, from around and under, without disturbing the shape of the cabbage.
• Cut into wedges to serve; spoon sauce over or serve on side.

SHAPIRO'S STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Core cabbage and blanch in a large pot of boiling water until leaves begin to loosen.
• Soak bread in red wine.
• Combine ground chuck, onion, celery and egg; mix in wet bread (bare hands are the best tools for this.
• Add tomato juice, rice, salt and pepper.
• Carefully peel off cabbage leaves and roll each around 1 to 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture, tucking in the sides to hold it together.
• Repeat until all the beef is wrapped. There should be 18 to 20 packets.
• Chop remaining cabbage leaves and reserve 4 cups.
• Prepare sauce: In a large stock pot heat stewed tomatoes, puree, water, brown sugar and lemon juice. Crumble gingersnaps and stir into mixture.
• Stir in raisins and chopped cabbage leaves. (Taste at this point and add more salt and pepper if necessary).
• Carefully add stuffed cabbage packets to sauce.
• Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Check occasionally and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup tomato juice to sauce if it seems to be drying out.

STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Place cabbage head in freezer and freeze overnight. Remove from freezer, thaw and peel away leaves.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine the beef, egg, onion, rice, salt and pepper. Mix together well. Take a small handful and form into a small roll or ball. Place into the center of a cabbage leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf over and roll the ball up into the leaf. Place seam side down in baking dish. Continue until all of the filling is used up.
• Mix together the soup with a 1/2 can water; pour over stuffed cabbage.
• Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour; baste often with the sauce.