Chou Vert Farci Stuffed Cabbage Recipes

CHOUX FARCI AU SAUMON / SALMON STUFFED CABBAGE - FROM THE MOVIE HAUTE CUISINE RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• 1) Salmon fish heads and bones placed in a large bowl, leaving a net sink of cold water for ten minutes to clean and eliminate all traces of impurities. Drain and place in a heavy pot with four quarts of cold water. 2) Add the bouquet garni and bring slowly to a boil, skimming. Simmer 15 minutes, pass through a sieve to obtain a clear juice. 3) Salmon fillet slices about 1 cm thick, arrange flat on a plate, lightly salt and pepper, and refrigerate. 4) Cut the pork belly /bacon into thin slices, blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes, with a brief cool under cold water. 5) In a large pot, boil water and blanch the whole cabbage for 3 minutes, drain, cool 10 seconds under cold water, and repeat the procedure again. ( blanched cabbage, whole, in order to protect the delicate inner leaves, and blanched twice to make it more digestible). 6) Drain and on a thick towel, open the cabbage sheet, gently. Keep only the very tender leaves and save the heart for a future soup. 7) In a deep cast-iron pot, sauté the onions with a tablespoon of goose fat. Add carrots, peeled, without heart, detailed sliced, lightly browned, add salt and cover. Cook for 30 minutes over very low heat. Keep warm. 8) Meanwhile, line a strainer with foot square of cheesecloth, taking care of leaves dangling on the sides so that they can then collect leaf edges to form a bundle. Line starting with two layers of large cabbage leaves, taking care of them largely overlap (after poaching, cabbage will remain ball shaped), then a layer of sliced salmon and cabbage and salmon again. Use everything, ending with a double layer of cabbage. Close the cheesecloth, tighten shaped like a balloon and tie securely with kitchen twine. 9) Bring the fish stock to boil, then gently dip the stuffed cabbage, and simmer for 15 minutes, then turn and add 5 minutes of cooking. A large skimmer is helpful at this stage. 10) Drain cabbage, carefully unwrap on a bowl (it should stay in shape), slice into the pan back on the bed of carrots . Pepper optional at the very end of cooking, with fresh ground pepper. 11. A simple Champagne sauce was used in the film. 12. The young carrots are cooked in goose fat with onions. There are red or white wines from the Périgord region, but they may not be available in North America. Lucky you if they are. A good Champagne would certainly work here.

CHOU VERT FARCI (STUFFED CABBAGE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Using a sharp knife, cut off the stem end of the cabbage. Cut out the core of the cabbage.
• Bring a large quantity of water to the boil in a kettle. Add the cabbage and cover. Let it boil, turning the cabbage so that it cooks evenly all over. As the cabbage cooks, separate the leaves at intervals and cook from 10 to 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
• Heat the butter in a skillet and add the mushrooms and finely chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until onion is wilted and mushrooms have given up their liquid. Continue cooking until liquid evaporates. Add the finely minced garlic, half a bay leaf and half of the thyme and stir.
• Finely chop the livers or puree them in an electric blender or food processor. Add the livers and pork to the mushroom-and-onion mixture. Cook, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon and scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl. Let cool briefly. Add the eggs, parsley, bread crumbs, nutmeg and allspice. Add salt and pepper to taste and blend well.
• Lay out a large square of cheesecloth on a flat surface. Arrange six or seven of the large cabbage leaves in the center of the cheesecloth, the edges of the leaves slightly overlapping in a circular fan shape. The stem ends of the leaves should point outward and not to the center. Cover the middle of the circle of leaves with another large leaf.
• Spoon about one-third of the pork mixture into the center of the round layer of cabbage leaves. Spoon it almost but not quite to the outer edges of the leaves.
• Add another layer of slightly smaller leaves. Spread this with another third of the filling. Add another layer of leaves and a final third of the filling. Put the smallest leaves in the center of the final layer of filling.
• Bring up the edges of the cheesecloth so that the leaves and filling are returned to a whole cabbage shape. Press the large cabbage together compactly and tighten the cheesecloth all around. Tie the cheesecloth into a tight bag and cut off the excess cheesecloth at the ends.
• Select a heavy casserole large enough to hold the stuffed cabbage. Add the chicken wings and pork bones and cook, stirring, until nicely browned. Add the coarsely chopped onion, carrots, celery, whole clove of garlic, peppercorns and the remaining bay leaf and thyme. Cook, stirring, about one minute. Pour off most of the fat.
• Add the wine, chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the tomatoes.
• Arrange the cabbage tied side down and cover closely. Place in the oven and bake two hours.
• Remove the cabbage from the sauce. Untie and discard the cheesecloth. Arrange the cabbage on a baking dish. Return it to the oven and bake 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook down the sauce remaining in the casserole over moderately high heat five minutes. Strain the sauce, pressing the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Put the sauce in a saucepan. Blend the arrowroot or cornstarch and wine and add it to the sauce, stirring.
• As the cabbage bakes for 10 minutes, baste it occasionally with the sauce. Serve with parsleyed potatoes.