Lamb And Rice Stuffed Cabbage Recipes

LAMB-AND-RICE-STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large, deep pot of water to a boil. Season with salt. Mix together onion, lamb, rice, pine nuts, currants, cinnamon, herbs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cover; refrigerate about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, using a paring knife, cut out and discard core of cabbage. Plunge cabbage, top-side down, into pot of boiling water. (Use a pair of tongs to keep it fully submerged.) As leaves separate from head and become pliable, remove them and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, 6 minutes total. Let stand until cool enough to handle, 15 minutes.
• Stir together tomato sauce, lemon juice, sugar, and 1/4 cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Line a 9-by-13- inch baking dish with large cabbage leaves; spread with half of tomato mixture. Working with one remaining leaf at a time, lay flat on a work surface; with a knife held horizontally, cutting away from you, shave center rib flush with leaf. Place about 1/4 cup lamb mixture in center. Fold stem end over filling, then tuck in sides and roll to enclose. Repeat with remaining leaves (using less filling as leaves get smaller). Fit rolls snugly in dish in a single layer, seam-sides down, and top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with garlic, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil. Cover; bake 30 minutes. Spoon juices over rolls, return to oven, and bake, covered, until leaves are tender and easily cut with a knife, 55 to 65 minutes more; serve.

LAMB AND RICE STUFFED CABBAGE WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Add the cabbage leaves to the boiling water a few at a time and cook for 30 seconds to one minute, or until they're just pliable. Carefully remove the leaves from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander; rinse with cold water. Repeat with the remaining leaves. Gently squeeze the leaves to remove most of the excess water, leaving them just damp enough so they will stick together when rolled.
• Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; when hot, add half the chopped onion and one tablespoon of the garlic, along with the carrot and the parsnip, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl along with the lamb and rice. Mix until just combined.
• Wipe the pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the remaining onion and garlic and cook until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, red pepper and a good sprinkling of salt; cook over medium-low heat while you prepare the cabbage leaves.
• Cut the cabbage leaves in half by running a sharp knife along each side of the stem, removing the stem in the process; trim the top and bottom so you're left with a large rectangle. Lay a leaf on a work surface with the wide edge facing you. Put a couple tablespoons of the meat mixture in the middle of the leaf, fold in the two sides of the leaf and roll it up as you would a burrito. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
• Add the cabbage rolls, seam side down, to the pot of sauce. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring the sauce occasionally and adding a tablespoon or two of water if the sauce becomes too thick, until the meat and rice are both fully cooked (cut into a roll to check; the rice should be tender and the meat no longer pink), 30 to 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

LAMB AND RICE STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat; heat oil in the melted butter. Cook and stir 1/2 diced onion until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Combine lamb, rice, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 cup parsley, almonds, and currants in a large bowl. Add cooled onion mixture and mix until combined. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Remove the core from the cabbage head and place the head in the boiling water. Cover and simmer until leaves begin to fall away, about 5 minutes. Remove the 2 outer layers of leaves to a paper towel-lined plate, cover and continue cooking for 1 to 2 more minutes. Remove the remaining large leaves to the plate. You will need 8 large and about 7 smaller leaves.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Take 1 cabbage leaf and remove the root end. Place about 1/2 cup of the lamb mixture toward the bottom edge of the cabbage leaf and roll into a log. Repeat with remaining lamb mixture and 7 more large leaves to create 8 cabbage rolls.
• Line the bottom of a large casserole dish or Dutch oven with 4 or 5 smaller cabbage leaves. Place cabbage rolls on top; season with salt and black pepper. Add bay leaves and tomato puree. Pour in chicken broth. Sprinkle 1/2 sliced onion over the top and cover with 3 or 4 more cabbage leaves. Cover casserole.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the lamb is tender and the rice is cooked, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Serve with pan juices poured over the top and garnished with feta cheese and 2 tablespoons parsley.

LAMB STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• For the cabbage rolls: Core the head of cabbage and boil in salted water until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer to an ice-cold bowl of water to stop cooking. Remove from ice water, separate the green leaves and set aside for the rolls. Thinly slice the remaining cabbage and set aside for the sauce.
• In a large bowl, combine the minced lamb, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, cilantro, ginger, chile pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season, cover, and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove any thick veins from the cabbage leaves with a sharp knife. Place 1 cabbage leaf on a cutting board, add 2 tablespoons of the filling, fold sides, and roll up. Hold the loose end of the leaf with small bamboo sticks if necessary. Repeat with other leaves. Transfer the stuffed rolls into a 13 by 9-inch oven-safe dish. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
• For the sauce: In a saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add onions and reserved sliced cabbage and saute until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, continue to cook for a minute over low heat. Add the tomatoes and veal stock. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.
• Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls and cook in the oven for 50 minutes.
• For serving: Plate 2 cabbage rolls per person, and a ladle of sauce. Garnish with crumbled feta. Serve with the roasted potatoes and chive sour cream.