Swedish Cabbage Rolls Kaldolmar Recipes

SWEDISH CABBAGE ROLLS-KALDOLMAR

Steps:

• Wash cabbage and remove any damaged outer leaves, cut out core.
• Bring a large pot of water to boiling.
• Add cabbage to wilt leaves while preparing stuffing.
• Turn off heat under cabbage, mix together potato, rice, meats, onion, the 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, allspice, sugar, and egg.
• Separate leaves from cabbage as they wilt and drain:.
• Return cabbage to water to wilt inner leaves.
• Shape stuffing into oblong patties and place on core end of cabbage leaf.
• Fold over sides of leaf slightly and roll up, tucking in sides of leaf if possible.
• It may be necessary to fasten rolls with toothpicks, if used, they should be removed before placing rolls in baking dish.
• Mix 3 tablespoons flour and the 1/4 teaspoon salt and roll cabbage leaves in mixture; brown in large skillet.
• Remove cabbage rolls as they are browned and place in a large, flat, greased baking dish.
• Cover dish with aluminum foil.
• Heat over to 300 degrees.
• Bake 1 1/2 hours basting frequently with the 2 tablespoons melted butter.
• Remove baking dish from oven and place cabbage rolls on a warm platter.
• Mix the 1 tablespoon flour and cream in a small pan.
• Add the liquid from baking dish: Cook and stir over moderately low heat until thickened.
• Season to taste.
• Pour gravy over cabbage rolls before serving.

SWEDISH CABBAGE ROLLS (KALDOLMAR)

Steps:

• Remove the stem from the cabbage and poach the head in boiling salted water for a few minutes.
• Separate the outer leaves and remove any coarse stalks.
• Let cool.
• Rinse the rice and boil soft in the milk for about 20 minutes.
• Let cool.
• Finely chop the onion and sautée in the butter until transparent.
• Let cool.
• Mix meat, eggs, onion, milk, spices and rice.
• Put about two ounces of the mixture on each cabbage leaf and roll to small dolmas (rolls).
• Place them on a greased tray.
• Put the sugar or syrup on top together with a little melted butter.
• Bake in the oven at 175 degrees C/ 350 F for about 30 minutes; add the gravy or sauce, raise the heat a little and bake for another 20-30 minutes.
• Serve the rolls with boiled or mashed potatoes (maybe enriched with cream and butter) and Farmors Gurka ("Grandma'sCucumber"): Thinly sliced cucumber marinated in strong vinegar, sugar, salt and parsley.
• (Personally, I'm not very fond of the sugar/syrup in the recipe, so I use to exclude it, but that's only because I'm against sweet ingredients in main courses in general).

STUFFED CABBAGE (KåLDOLMAR)

Steps:

• Cabbage and rice: Cut out the core of the cabbage with a sharp knife. Remove the large, bitter outer leaves from the cabbage and discard. Carefully pull off the remaining larger leaves (about 10 of them), keeping them whole and as undamaged as possible. (Reserve the remaining cabbage for another use, such as Hugh Acheson's Apple-Cabbage Slaw). Meanwhile, add rice, milk, and a pinch of salt to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a low simmer and cook uncovered until the grains absorb the milk, stirring occasionally, 10-20 minutes.
• Onion and potatoes: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; sauté onions until soft, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes. Set aside for the meat filling. Meanwhile, place potatoes in a medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover. Add a big pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until soft, 10-12 minutes. While the potatoes are simmering, check the rice. The mixture should begin to look like a porridge, with the grains intact. (This will act as a binder for the meat, as well as providing moisture.)
• Cabbage: Prepare an ice bath. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; blanch the cabbage leaves in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or until pliable. Remove leaves and immediately plunge them into the ice bath to stop the cooking. Set aside on paper towels to dry. Meanwhile, check the rice mixture. When the rice has absorbed all the milk, spread it on a plate to quickly cool, 5 minutes. (Note: Rice can be prepared up to 1 day ahead.)
• Meat filling: In a large mixing bowl, add beef, pork, eggs, sautéed onions, milk, a big pinch salt (about 1 teaspoon) and white pepper (about 1 teaspoon), and the cooled rice. Combine well with your hands, a whisk, or wooden spoon. (Alternatively, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on low speed.) To check the seasoning, fry a small bit of the meat mixture and taste it.
• Assemble rolls: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Carefully cut out 1 inch of the thick center vein from the leaves, so they will be easier to roll up. Place 3-4 tablespoons of the meat filling (depending on the size of the cabbage leaf) into the center of a leaf and, starting at what was the stem-end, fold the sides in and roll up the cabbage to enclose the filling (like a burrito). Place the roll seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining leaves and meat, arranging the rolls side by side in rows. Drizzle agave syrup over rolls and bake, 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, remove dish from oven. Pour enough broth over the rolls to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Place back in oven for another 20 minutes.
• Sauce: Cabbage rolls are done when brown on top and the meat is cooked through. Remove cabbage rolls from the dish and strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a skillet. Bring liquid to a boil and reduce by half, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Whisk in cream, add a pinch of salt, and continue boiling to thicken slightly, 1 more minute. (Sauce will be on the brothy side.) Meanwhile, drain the potatoes and place in a bowl; add 1 tablespoon butter and salt to taste.
• Place cabbage rolls and potatoes on a plate; add a few dollops of lingonberry jam on the side. Drizzle sauce over everything. Serve.