With so many versions of this dish found all over Greece, stuffed cabbage leaves are the ultimate winter food. In fact, it features on almost all Christmas family dinner tables and is considered a real delicacy. A dish sometimes served with tomato sauce, other times with egg-lemon sauce, and usually stuffed with meat or fish, or rice and herbs for vegetarians, the possibilities are just endless.
Serves5 servings
Cooks In20' preparation | 40' cooking
DifficultyYou Can Do It
Ingredients
1 cabbage, light and fluffy
STUFFING
1.1 lb mixed ground meat (lamb and pork or beef and pork)
2 onions, grated
2-3 green onions, chopped
2 carrots, grated
½ bunch fresh dill
½ bunch fresh parsley
1 cup sticky rice
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup water
Salt, freshly ground pepper
EGG-LEMON SAUCE
2 egg yolks
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tbsp. cornstarch (optional)
Method
Pierce the cabbage with a knife and remove the cabbage stem.
Place in a pot of boiling water with the hole facing down and simmer for 8 minutes, until the cabbage begins to soften.
Combine all the stuffing ingredients and knead until the meat turns white.
Separate the cabbage leaves one by one and remove the thick veins.
Place a spoonful of stuffing in the middle of each cabbage leaf, and wrap into rolls.
Spread out the blanched cabbage leaves along the base of a wide and shallow cooking pot (Rondeau) and top with the onion slices.
Transfer the stuffed cabbage rolls to the pot in layers next to one another, and cover with a plate so they do not unwrap while cooking.
Pour enough stock or water to cover the cabbage rolls, add 1/3 cup olive oil and season.
Fasten the fresh dill and parsley stems with kitchen string and add for flavor.
Cover the pot and simmer for 40 minutes.
Prepare the egg-lemon sauce.
AVGOLEMONO SAUCE
Whisk 2 egg yolks with the juice of 2 lemons and loosen the mixture with a ladleful of stock.
Pour into the food and move pot in a circular motion to evenly distribute the sauce.
For a thicker sauce add 1 tbsp. cornstarch.
Serve at room temperature and lather generously with Avgolemono sauce