Cabbage Rolls Sarma Recipes

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 (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.

CABBAGE ROLLS-SARMA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Cut the top of the core out of the head of cabbage. Stick a fork into the core. Set head of cabbage in a large pan of water and boil for a few minutes until the leaves become loose.
• While the cabbage is boiling, prepare the meat mixture in a large bowl. Combine the beef, pork, rice, onion, eggs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well (I usually use my hands to knead it all together).
• Remove leaves of cabbage as they loosen from the head with tongs to a colander. You may wish to rinse the leaves with some cold water so it's easier to work with them.
• Next, fill each leaf to make rolls:.
• Cut the bacon down the middle using kitchen shears. Place 1-2 half strips of bacon into the bottom of the cabbage leaf near the core end. Next, put 3 or so tablespoons or sauerkraut on top of the bacon. After that, put a handful of meat mixture on top of the sauerkraut. How much meat mixture you use depends on how large your cabbage leaves are. You can adjust the amount of meat mixture according to how easy or difficult it is to roll up the leaf. Wrap the core side up and over the mixture ingredients, tuck it under tightly, fold the sides in, and roll the rest. This may take a few tries to get, but fairly easy to get the hang of.
• As you fill your cabbage leaves, set them in a row in a large roasting pan. Repeat the rolling process until you have run out of meat mixture or cabbage leaves, whichever comes sooner. I have found that with this recipe I usually have enough for 12 large rolls with some filling left over depending on how big the cabbage leaves are.
• After you have filled your roasting pan with rolls, put the remaining bacon strips on top of the rolls and top with whatever sauerkraut you have left. Fill the pan with sauerkraut juice until it comes at least half-way up the sides of the pan.
• Cover the pan with tinfoil and bake for 2-3 hours.
• Serve with crusty bread.