Stuffed Cabbage With Crab And Mint Recipes

GIANT STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Rub the inside of a 3-quart round soufflé dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the cabbage leaves for 2 minutes to soften (they will continue to cook in the oven). Gently nudge them into the water with a large spoon if they float to the top during cooking. Drain and set aside.
• Heat a medium nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, thyme, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently with a heatproof silicone spatula, until vegetables are softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
• Add the meat, parsley, rice, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the vegetable mixture. Stir to combine well using the spatula.
• Layer enough of the cabbage leaves to cover the bottom and up the sides of the souffle dish in a single layer, overlapping as needed to fill any visible gaps. Use the larger leaves as the veins are more pronounced; the bottom will be the presentation side after it is cooked and flipped over.
• Gently spread about 1 1/4 cups of the meat mixture in the bottom of the dish in an even layer on top of the cabbage leaves. Evenly spread 4 tablespoons of marinara sauce over the meat mixture. Cover with a layer of cabbage leaves. Repeat with another layer of meat mixture, marinara sauce and cabbage leaves until all the meat mixture is used. Reserve the remaining marinara sauce for serving. Tuck the final layer of cabbage neatly into the sides, gently pressing down all around to compact it.
• Tightly cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the cabbage is tender and the rice is cooked through, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, but do not remove the foil. Allow to cool and set for at least 1 hour. Remove the foil and gently invert the stuffed cabbage onto a serving platter. Serve with the reserved warmed marinara sauce.

SEAFOOD-STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 325°. For the sauce, melt the butter in a cast iron pot over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Add the flour; whisking briskly until it is thoroughly incorporated. Let the mixture bubble for 1 minute, but don't let it darken. Add the shallot, thyme, and cayenne and continue to whisk as you stir in the seafood broth and wine. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until it thickens nicely. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and refrigerate.
• 2. For the cabbage, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, and garlic and sweat until soft. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and mix in the shrimp, eggs, bread, milk, Tabasco, and celery salt. Carefully fold in the crabmeat, keeping the lumps intact. Cool the seafood filling while you blanch the cabbage leaves.
• 3. Bring a big pot of salted water to boil. Have a large bowl of ice water nearby to cool the leaves as they blanch. Add the cabbage leaves one at a time to the boiling water and blanch for 30 seconds. Transfer to the ice water, then quickly remove from the water and drain flat on towels.
• 4. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the seafood mixture into the center of each cabbage leaf and roll up burrito-style. Pour the seafood sauce into the bottom of the cleaned cast iron pot. Carefully place each cabbage roll, seam-side down, snugly together over the sauce. There should be enough sauce to rise halfway up the sides of the rolls. Bake, covered, for 20-25 minutes.