Babcias Polish Cabbage Recipes

GRANDMOTHER'S POLISH CABBAGE AND NOODLES

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat; cook and stir cabbage and onion until very tender, about 30 minutes.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in bow tie pasta and return to a boil. Cook pasta until tender but still slightly firm, about 12 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
• Stir water and cooked ham into cabbage mixture; heat through. Thoroughly mix in sugar.
• Gently stir bow tie pasta into the ham and cabbage and heat through.

CLASSIC GOłąBKI: POLISH STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS WITH TOMATO SAUCE (PORK & RICE)

Steps:

• Wash the cabbage under running water. Even though the inside is usually clean (the outer leaves protect the inside), you might want to clean it anyway. Remove the tough outer leaves and discard them. Separate the inner leaves and wash them under running water.
• Cut out the stalk from the head.
• Grab a large cooking pot, large enough for the whole cabbage head to fit. Pour water in and bring it to boil. Add a solid pinch of salt and sugar and stir.
• Blanch the cabbage head in the boiling water, core side down. After a few minutes (2-3), the leaves should peel off easily. If not - cook it for a few more minutes.
• Remove cabbage to a baking tray, but keep the water in the pot.
• (Optional) To keep a more vibrant colour, you can place the leaves into ice water - that will slow down the cooking process.
• Set ten best leaves (largest, unbroken) aside. Using a paring knife, cut the main 'vein' out from each cabbage leaf and trim from the bottom with a knife.
• Peel an onion and dice it finely. Finely chop the garlic with a knife.
• Heat up a tablespoon or two of oil, add in chopped onion. When it turns golden, add chopped garlic and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, cooked rice, a tablespoon marjoram, and cooled down onion/garlic.
• Season with salt and pepper, mix thoroughly - no special tools are necessary, you can use your hands. This mass will be our stuffing.
• Lay the cabbage leaf flat. Place about ¼-⅓ cup of meat mixture in the centre of a cabbage leaf. Gather the edges of the cabbage inwards and roll it tightly. Continue until you have 10 decent-sized rolls.
• Line the bottom of the large cooking pot with some of the remaining pre-cooked leaves - this prevents the dish from burning.
• Place the cabbage rolls in the pot, in layers, one on top of another. Cover with a layer of remaining leaves.
• Pour the stock in. Cook on a medium heat, covered for about 40-50 minutes until the cabbage is tender. Not every cabbage is the same, you'll have to check how soft it is as you go.
• When the cabbage rolls are nearly done, let's make the tomato sauce.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan. When melted, add in the flour. Whisk together and cook for a bit until it gains some colour.
• Pour in around a cup (250 ml) of the stock that got made from cooking the cabbage rolls. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat.
• Pour in 2 cups of tomato passata/purée and add a tablespoon of tomato paste. Bring to a boil yet again, then reduce the heat to a minimum.
• Season with salt and ground pepper. If the tomatoes are too acidic, add a pinch of sugar to balance the flavours.
• Continue cooking until you reach a desired thickness.
• Serve cooked cabbage rolls, with tomato sauce on top or on the side.
• Garnish with some freshly chopped dill or parsley leaves.

KAPUSTA (POLISH BRAISED CABBAGE)

Steps:

• Sauté the diced bacon in a medium sauté pan with a lid, over medium high heat, 2-3 min.
• Add the diced onions. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the onions are golden. (At this point, if there is a lot of fat in the pan from the bacon, drain some off, leaving just enough bacon grease to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.)
• Add the garlic and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
• Add the shredded cabbage and water. Cover the pot and simmer for 7-10 minutes, until the cabbage has softened.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salt and pepper. Taste your kapusta, and adjust the seasonings as desired.
• Serve with polish sausage or pierogies.

SUPER EASY POLISH CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 baking dish.
• Bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow rice to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove the core from the cabbage, and place cabbage in the boiling water. Remove the outer leaves as they soften. Set leaves aside.
• Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir together the cooked onion, ground chicken, cooked rice, eggs, garlic, salt, pepper, and marjoram in a bowl.
• Place about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture in the center of each cabbage leaf. Roll leaf and tuck ends in to enclose filling. Secure each roll with a toothpick if necessary. Place rolls into prepared baking dish. Pour tomato sauce over the rolls.
• Bake, covered, in the preheated oven until the meat in the rolls is no longer pink, 45 to 60 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of casserole should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

MOM'S POLISH STEWED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook and stir onions and garlic in hot oil until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir cabbage, vinegar, caraway seeds, and sugar with the onion mixture; bring to a simmer and cook until the cabbage is softened, about 15 minutes.
• Stir sausage, tomatoes, and salsa with the cabbage mixture; season with salt and pepper. Place a cover on the Dutch oven and cook until cabbage is completely tender, 45 to 60 minutes.