Stuffed cabbage with sour cream roux

Name: Stuffed cabbage with sour cream roux
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Hungarian
Ingredients: 1 head sauerkraut, separated into whole leaves; 300 g chopped sauerkraut (for the base); 300 g pork shoulder or knuckle, in one piece; 100 g smoked bacon; 2 tbsp lard; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tbsp flour; 200 ml sour cream; for the filling: 500 g ground pork; for the filling: 1 egg; for the filling: 80 g rice, soaked in warm water; for the filling: salt, pepper

Time: 2 hr (about 1 h hands-on)6 servingsapprox. 610 kcal / serving (estimated)approx. 27 g protein / serving

Stuffed cabbage is one of the greatest classics of Hungarian winter and Christmas cooking. This old version cooks the rolls separately from the cabbage with bacon and meat, then brings the two together with a sour cream roux, which makes the dish especially creamy. It takes several hours of work, but it is worth making in a large batch, because it tastes even better reheated.

Stuffed cabbage with sour cream roux (illustration)

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Method

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Carefully peel off the whole leaves from the head of sauerkraut (these will become the rolls); chop up the rest.
Set the chopped cabbage to cook with a piece of pork and the bacon, covered with water, and simmer over low heat until tender, about 45-50 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling: mix the ground pork with the egg, the soaked and drained rice, salt, and pepper.
Divide the filling evenly onto the cabbage leaves, roll them up, then cook separately in another pot, covered with water, until tender, about 40-45 minutes.
Once the meat and the braised cabbage are cooked, remove the meat, dice it, and return it to the cabbage.
Fry the chopped onion in the lard, sprinkle with the flour, fry to a light red, then stir in the paprika.
Mix this roux with the sour cream and add it to the cooked, bacon-flavored cabbage to make it nicely thick.
Carefully add the cooked cabbage rolls to the thickened cabbage, and boil together for just a few minutes - don't stir too much, so the rolls don't fall apart.
Serve hot, with the rolls nestled in the thick, sour-cream cabbage.

Based on: Malatinszky Fanny szakácskönyve (a classic Hungarian cookbook), modernised. Calories and protein are estimated.

Tips

If the sour cabbage leaves are too salty or too sharp, soak them in cold water for half an hour, which gives the rolls a pleasanter flavour.
Do not cook the rice in advance: soaked in warm water, it softens just enough to swell fully during cooking without bursting the roll.
Close the rolls tightly, tucking in the two sides of the leaf, so that they do not open during cooking.

Frequently asked questions

Can it be made with fresh cabbage?

Yes, but the leaves need blanching, and the dish will be milder. In that case, add a little vinegar or lemon juice to the sauce, because the sour note will otherwise be missing.

How many days does it keep?

It keeps for 3-4 days in the fridge, tasting better with each day. Frozen, it keeps for 2-3 months. Reheat it gently over a low heat so that the rolls do not fall apart.

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