MARY’S KITCHEN – POLISH CABBAGE ROLLS

I recently posted a photograph on my facebook – Mary’s Kitchen page www.facebook.com/marypremiercru and had enormous requests for a video and/or the recipe on how to make these wonderful delicacies.  I had some Polish friends visiting last week so I thought I would push the boat out and make these long remembered childhood favourites.

When I lived in Canada, I had some very good and fondly remembered neighbours called Marie and Ziggy Kosterski.  Their children, Debra, Vincent, Michael and Andrew where great friends of mine and we grew up together in Hamilton, Ontario in the Rosedale area.  When I think back to all the antics we got up to, I have a smile from ear to ear.  No technology back then but the fun was unforgettable.  However, thanks to social media, Debra and I have been able to reacquaint after all these absent years which is wonderful.  The one magical memory was when Marie Kosterski taught me as a kid how to make Polish Cabbage Rolls and I have never forgotten.  She also taught me to make Perogi but to be honest,  that recipe I would have to revisit. 

I have had the good fortune to visit Poland many times over the last few years.  Zakopane to ski, Krackow for the Christmas Market, Lublin to attend my good friends the Arasimowicz’s family wedding and hope it won’t be too long before I return again.  I adore Poland.  The Polish know how to feast and party with no expense spared. A very generous culture and an interesting cuisine to master.

Recently the Arasimowicz family visited me in Edinburgh so I thought it only appropriate to lay on something special I had learned to make many years early, Polish Cabbage Rolls.  The are distinctly time consuming to make and can be prepared earlier and also frozen (after cooked) , but the flavour is something lovely memories are made of.

So for those of you have been asking for this recipe – here you go!  I have never written it down before as it comes all from the heart so I hope you understand when suddenly I had a huge request for this recipe, I was quite dumbfounded.  Firstly because of the interest shown and secondly, I needed to ponder it and get it on paper.  This is my version thanks to Mrs. Kosterski and my understanding from my dear friend Lukasz Arasimowicz, each Polish family have their own version.  So, this is very much my version and I love to make these for a party.  They are real showstoppers.

RECIPE FOR MARY’S POLISH CABBAGE ROLLS

Firstly,  you need a very large cabbage – as big as a soccer ball if you can find one.  If your lucky enough to have a Polish Deli nearby, you will find one there.  You can also use Savoy cabbage or Chinese cabbage.  I prefer to use ordinary cabbage for the result I want to achieve.

Secondly, you need a large pan that you can fully immerse the cabbage into with water.  Before placing the full cabbage into the pan, you must cut the core out well.  This helps leaves to fall off individually once the cabbage starts to boil.  Place the cabbage in your large pot with core at bottom on pan and fill with water.  Bring to a gentle boil.  Please be patient at this point as it takes time for the leaves to fall off one by one.  As the leaves are gently releasing pull them from the water once they are limp and put them onto paper towel or clean dish cloth.  You can carry on with this process until all leaves have released themselves.  At the end,  you end up with the small ball of the smallest leaves which you cannot use for the wraps but can cut up and add to your filling mixture if you like.

CABBAGE ROLL FILLING

1 lb of Ground Beef 

1/2 lb of Ground Pork or Turkey (I prefer Turkey)

1 large onion ( finely chopped)

2 carrots (finely chopped)

2 celery sticks (finely chopped)

1 sweet yellow pepper (optional)

3 or 4 cloves chopped garlic

2 cups cooked long grain rice

3 tbsp olive oil

sea salt & pepper

2 tbsp mixed herbs

a dash of Worcestershire

2 tins of chopped tomatoes

1 cup water

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tomatoes sliced

Add olive oil to large frying pan.  Add onions, carrots, celery, pepper, garlic – the finer these items are chopped the better – I use a mini hand blender with a bowl attachment.  Gently fry the mixture for 5/10 minutes until soft.  In the meantime, mix your raw meats together in a large bowl.  Gently mix vegetables and cooked rice through the meat. Add Worcestershire, mixed herbs and S&P. Mix this all well together.  You are now ready to fill your cabbage rolls.  

Take a leaf and cut the hard bit off that was next to core.  Place a tbsp into the bottom of the cabbage leaf, roll and bring sides in and continue to roll.  You have now sealed meat and rice within the cabbage roll.  Continue to do this until you have used all filling and leaves up.

Place them all neatly into a large baking tray with the seam on bottom of pan. Mix together the tinned tomatoes, lemon juice and water.  Drizzle this over the cabbage rolls. Place sliced tomatoes neatly on top. Put tin foil over the whole pan.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees (180C) for 1 hour.

Options for the adventurous – You could add some red chilli and mushrooms

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Thank you for stopping by.

Mary Joan Calder