Sarna 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.

SERBIAN STUFFED CABBAGE (SARMA)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Steam the head of cabbage until the outer leaves are limp, then cool slightly and separate the leaves.
• With a paring knife, remove the tough ribs from the leaves without damaging them. Reserve the tougher outer leaves, but don't use for rolling.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the ground chuck, ground pork, rice, and onion soup mix.
• Adding a small amount of water will make the mixture easier to handle.
• Heap 2 tablespoons of filling onto each steamed, prepared cabbage leaf.
• Fold the bottom of the cabbage leaf up over the meat.
• Fold sides to the center and roll away from yourself to encase completely.
• Repeat until the meat filling is gone.
• Heat oven to 350 F.
• Discard the cabbage core and coarsely chop any remaining cabbage except the tough outer leaves you have reserved.
• Spread the chopped cabbage on the bottom of a large casserole dish or Dutch oven. Add the drained sauerkraut.
• Layer on the cabbage rolls, seam-side down.
• Cut the smoked ribs into pieces. Space the ribs or other smoked meat of choice between the cabbage rolls.
• Cover rolls with reserved tough outer leaves.
• Mix tomato sauce and soup with enough water to make a liquidy consistency.
• Pour over rolls until mixture is level with rolls, but not over the top.
• Cover the casserole dish and bake 1 hour.
• Then reduce temperature to 325 F and bake for 2 more hours.
• Let sit 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
• This dish freezes well.

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".

SARMA

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix the ground meat with the onions, rice, spices, and herbs. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and knead thoroughly.
• Place a vine leaf onto a working surface and add some filling in the center. Cover the filling with the leaf, folding in the sides, and roll tightly into a log. Do not overfill the leaves as the filling can ooze out. Layer the rolled logs tightly in a wide and deep pan, seam side facing down.
• Combine the water with the remaining olive oil and pour over the rolls. Add more water if needed, to ensure that the top layer of the vine leaf rolls is covered.
• Cover the sarmas with a heavy plate and cook over a moderate flame until it starts to boil. Then, lower the heat, and cook for about 40 minutes, until cooked through.
• Serve hot, with a spoon of yogurt and some crunchy bread on the side.

SARMA

Steps:

• Put the cabbage into the freezer a few days beforehand, and take it out the night before making the sarma. This softens the cabbage and readies it for stuffing.
• Combine the remaining ingredients, except the sauerkraut and the tomato sauce or juice, and form into oblong balls or sarmas about the size of a clenched fist. Wrap each sarma in a cabbage leaf.
• In a large pot, layer the sauerkraut and sarmas, starting with the sauerkraut. When laying down the sarmas, make sure the seam side of the cabbage leaf faces down. Add the tomato sauce or juice and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, for about 3 hours. Add more water if necessary.

BLUEBERRY BANANA MUFFINS

Steps:

• Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt) together. Then add the sugar, egg, orange juice, and butter. Whisk together. Fold in the bananas and blueberries.
• Pour into a lined muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from pan when done and cool on rack. These are amazing warm with some butter : ).