Stuffed Cabbage Head Zelna Hlava Plnena Recipes

WHOLE STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Whisk egg white in a bowl; stir in kasha to evenly coat. Heat a small saucepan over high; add kasha mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until dry and kernels separate, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in boiling water and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook until water evaporates and kasha is tender, about 8 minutes.
• With a paring knife, remove core of cabbage. Drop cabbage into a large pot of generously salted boiling water; cook until outer leaves turn bright green and pull easily from head, about 1 minute. Remove outer leaves; transfer to a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel. Continue boiling cabbage and removing leaves until 12 largest outer leaves are cooked. (Remove remaining cabbage and reserve for another use.) Trim the thick center vein from bottom of each leaf.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium. Add onion; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl along with cooked kasha; let cool completely. Whisk remaining egg and stir into kasha mixture with carrots, herbs, turkey, and flour. Season with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Line an 8‐inch bowl (measured across top) with a double layer of cheesecloth, leaving about 6 inches of overhang. Then line with the 6 prettiest cabbage leaves, overlapping slightly and allowing them to hang over top of bowl. Layer with one‐third of turkey mixture; top with 2 more cabbage leaves. Repeat layering twice with remaining turkey mixture and leaves. Fold in overhanging leaves to cover filling. Gather cheesecloth overhang and lift cabbage up, twisting to tighten into a secure round.
• Place tomatoes and 1 cup water in an ovenproof pot, such as a Dutch oven; bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Place stuffed cabbage, with twisted part of cheesecloth facing down, in pot. Cover, transfer to oven, and roast, basting occasion‐ ally with tomatoes, until a thermometer inserted in center registers 160 degrees, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly, then remove cheesecloth and slice cabbage into wedges. Serve with pan sauce, sour cream, and herbs.

STUFFED CABBAGE HEAD (ZELNA HLAVA PLNENA)

Steps:

• Remove the stump from the cabbage and discard.
• Scoop out and save the inside of the cabbage, leaving about a 1- 1 1/2 inch shell.
• Chop the cabbage you scraped out of the inside.
• Cook onion and garlic in 2 tbsp butter over medium high heat until onion is wilted.
• Add meat and brown.
• Add chopped cabbage, salt, pepper, parsley, and tomato soup.
• Cook covered about 10 minutes.
• Drain and allow to cool, then add egg and mix together well.
• Fill cabbage with mixture (you will usually have some left over unless you pack very tight) and cover with a cabbage leaf securing with a toothpicks.
• Put broth and remaining butter in a large casserole or large pot, Place cabbage in pot (open side up obviously) and cover.
• Cook in over at 375 for about an hour and 15 minutes.
• Cut into wedges and serve.

WHOLE STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Prepare tomato sauce: In a 3 quart saucepan combine first 6 ingredients.
• Over high heat, heat to boiling.
• Reduce heat to low, simmer covered for about 20 minutes.
• While sauce is cooking, prepare cabbage.
• Discard any tough outer leaves from cabbage, then carefully remove 2 large leaves and set aside.
• Cut out the stem and center of the cabbage, leaving a 1 inch thick shell.
• Dice the cabbage you removed from the center of the head.
• In a 5 quart Dutch oven, over medium heat, cook ground beef, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and 1 cup diced cabbage until meat is browned and cabbage is tender (about 15 minutes).
• Stir in rice and 1 cup of tomato sauce, remove from heat.
• Fill cabbage shell with meat mixture.
• Cover the opening with reserved cabbage leaves, and tie with clean string.
• In same dutch oven, stir in water, scraping to loosen brown bits.
• Add remaining diced cabbage and tomato sauce to pan.
• Place stuffed cabbage head (stem-end down) in sauce; over high heat, heat to boiling.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer, basting occasionally, until cabbage is tender (about 1 1/2 hours).
• When done, remove from Dutch oven and place cabbage in a deep platter, remove string.
• Spoon sauce over cabbage, slice cabbage head into wedges to serve.