Polish Golobki Gawumpki Recipes

GOLUMPKI (GOłąBKI, STUFFED CABBAGE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put cabbage head in a large stock pot, add water to cover and then add white vinegar to the water.
• Place on stove on high heat and cover, bringing to a boil.
• Gently boil cabbage until leaves of cabbage soften and become pliable.
• Remove from stove and drain water from the pot. Set aside and allow cabbage head to cool.
• Once cabbage is cooled, remove the leafs from the cabbage head. Take a paring knife and cut the lower portion of the "vein" from the leaf. This vein is very tough and needs to be removed. It will make it much easier to roll the meat mixture in the cabbage leaf. Continue to do this until you remove as many leaves from the cabbage as you can.
• In a large mixing bowl combine ground chuck, sausage, crumbled bacon, chopped onion, egg, rice, bread crumbs and finally add the salt and pepper. Make certain to thoroughly combine the ingredients together. The "meat" mixture will be a similar consistency to meatloaf. It should be nice and moist. If it seems dry, add an additional egg.
• Lay a cabbage leaf down on a flat surface thus allowing you to roll it easier. Take some of the meat mixture and form into a large meatball. You may make these as large or as small as you prefer therefore choose the size of your preference. Place the meatball in the center of the cabbage leaf. Wrap the cabbage leaf around the meat mixture (see video above).
• Place the stuffed cabbage in a roaster with the wrapped edges down in the roaster. Repeat this process placing the Golumpki next to each other, until all of the meat mixture is used up.
• Mix tomato soup, tomato paste and also a pinch of sugar.
• Pour tomato soup mixture over the top of the stuffed cabbage and reserve a small amount to be used in the next step.
• If you have cabbage leaves remaining, cover the entire top of the stuffed cabbage in the roaster.
• Pour remaining tomato soup mixture on top of the cabbage that you lined the tops of the stuffed cabbage. This step will help steam the Golumpki that lies below and therefore will keep them nice and moist.
• Put a lid on top of the roaster and bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours.

AUTHENTIC POLISH GOLUMPKI RECIPE - STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS THAT TASTE LIKE POLAND!

Steps:

• Cook the rice in half the time stated on the packaging. It should be middle-hard (semi-cooked).
• Wash the cabbage and remove the outer leaves.
• Remove the core and put the cabbage inside the boiling hot salty water.
• Depending on the type of cabbage, boil for 1-10 minutes, until the leaves are softer and flexible enough to form gołąbki.
• Drain and cool down the cabbage. Leave the water from the cabbage, you will need it later.
• Separate the leaves- you will use each leave to form gołąbek.
• Peel and chop the onions. Fry them with minced meat and a bit of oil or butter. Keep in mind that frying meat is not necessary! You can add raw meat to the filling.
• Mix rice, onions, and meat together. Season with salt and pepper. If the filling is too dry, add melted butter or broth to make sure it's easy to wrap in the cabbage leaves.
• Place the raw, outer cabbage leaves on the bottom of the heat-resistant dish.
• Start forming gołąbki: take each leave, put the meat-rice filling inside, and wrap it carefully. See this video if you don't know how to do it.
• Place gołąbki in the heat-resistant dish. They should tightly cling to each other.
• Pour the cabbage water into the heat-resistant dish. They should cover 1/5-2/3 of the dish (not more than half of the dish!).
• Cover the dish with the lid.
• Place in the oven heated to 356°F (180°C). Cook for 1-1,5h (until they are soft). After 40 minutes check if there is enough water in the dish. If not, add some more to make sure gołąbki won't burn.
• TOMATO SAUCE- peel and dice the tomatoes and boil them with a bit of water. Fry the minced garlic and onion on oil. When they are soft, add to the tomatoes and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• MUSHROOM SAUCE- peel and dice onions and mushrooms. Fry them on butter with minced garlic for 5-10 minutes. Add broth or water, cover the dish with a lid and simmer until soft (10-15 minutes). Mix the flour with sour cream, add 2 tbsps of mushroom sauce. Slowly pour the flour-cream mix to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

GOLABKI - POLISH CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Chop onion.
• Mince garlic.
• Saute garlic and onion in 2 T butter over medium heat until onions are caramelized. Remove from heat and let cool to near room temperature.
• Beat 2 eggs thoroughly with 2 T marjoram, 1 T thyme/sage, salt, and pepper.
• In bowl, add ground beef, pork (or veal), rice, onion, garlic, and eggs.
• Mix thoroughly with your hands.
• Cover and let rest in the fridge. (You can let it sit overnight, it will just let the flavors permeate more.).
• Core cabbage.
• Blanche cabbage leaves in boiling water, peeling them off as they become limp. (Alternatively, after coring the cabbage, you can put it in the freezer and after it's frozen, let it thaw and the leaves will be limp--you can just pull them off. **If you choose to freeze, freeze the cabbage the night before and keep in mind it will take a few hours for it to thaw**).
• Once you've separated all the leaves, take a paring knife and cut off any thick stems preventing the limp leaf from bending/rolling.
• Put about 2 T of meat filling in the center of each leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf in and roll it up into a little package. Put each golabki seam-down into a casserole dish. (At this point, if you like, you can freeze them and thaw them later. Once thawed, continue with the recipe steps below.).
• Once you've used up all the cabbage leaves or meat filling, take your cans of tomatoes and pour them over the golabki.
• Sprinkle the remaining teaspoons of marjoram into the tomato sauce before pouring it over the golabki and tomatoes.
• Bake covered at 350 for 2 hours.

GOLUMPKI - POLISH STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Take as much core out of the head of cabbage as possible. Place in a microwavable bowl with 1/2 cup of water. Put in microwave. Set for about 10 minutes. Carefully take out of microwave and pull off as many leaves that will come off easily. Repeat process for more leaves.
• OR.
• Place head of cabbage in a pot of boiling water. Be very careful taking the head out to take a few leaves off at a time and replacing it back into the water. I use a large serving fork to stab it in the core area.
• Put your ground beef in a large bowl. Add 2 cups cooked rice, the minced onion, 1 cup of water, salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or double if you like that flavor. Mix with hands. Take a hefty size tablespoon full and place on stem end of a cabbage leaf. Bring each side of leaf over into middle and roll. Place roll in baking dish (sprayed with PAM) with the seam side down. Repeat until all meat is used.
• Pour your tomato juice into a bowl. Add the mushroom soup and whisk these together until smooth. Pour over top of rolls. An added delicious treat is to place sliced kielbasa around the cabbage rolls if you wish. Cover with foil and bake about 1 1/2 hours on 350 degrees.
• These are great served with mashed potatoes and peas.
• They are even better a few days later. You can bake these ahead and put them in the refrigerator 2-3 days. The flavor all comes together.

POLISH STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS (GOLABKI / GOLUMKIES / GOLUMPKIS)

Steps:

• Cut 12 large leaves off of cabbage head, cover leaves with boiling water, let stand until leaves are limp (2-3 minutes); then drain OR core cabbage head, and boil cabbage until leaves are tender enough to remove easily (10-15 minutes), very carefully remove 12 large leaves (You may have to peel the outer layers first and then return the cabbage to cook and continue peeling the leaves until all are done); then drain.
• Mix beef, pork, rice, egg, milk, seasonings, and vegetables.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Put 1-4 tablespoons (depending on size of leaf) of meat mixture in center of each leaf; tuck in sides and roll to cover meat (I roll any leftover filling into meatballs and cook them with the cabbage rolls).
• Place, seam side down in baking dish.
• Mix tomato sauce with the sugar; pour over rolls.
• Cover and bake for 45-60 minutes.