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Kapusta Farshirovannaya
Stuffed Whole Cabbage
Kapusta Farshirovannaya
Ingredients
1 head white cabbage (about 2¼ lb/1 kg)
1 lb (450 g) minced beef
4 slices stale white bread, crusts removed
8 tablespoons milk
1½ teaspoons salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ teaspoon crushed hot dried pepper
¼ teaspoon caraway seed
1 tablespoon fresh dill or ½ teaspoon dried dill
2 oz (60 g) butter, melted
½ pint (300 ml) rich beef broth
½ pint (300 ml) soured cream
Details
Serves: 4
Method
Core the cabbage and place it in a large pot with a tightly-fitting lid. Add some boiling salted water and steam the cabbage until it is just barely tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from the water and drain; set aside to cool.
Soak the stale bread in the milk. Squeeze out the excess milk and then mix the bread with the minced beef, salt, pepper, hot pepper, caraway seed and dill, blending well.
When the cabbage is cool enough to handle, carefully pull back each of the leaves, one at a time, being careful not to tear them from the base of the cabbage.
Continue pulling back the leaves until only the tiny inner leaves remain in a point. Starting from the inside, brush some melted butter on each leaf as you work with it, then sprinkle it with salt.
Place some filling on each leaf, and then carefully reposition the leaf as if you were putting the head back together again. Continue until all the leaves have been filled. Pour any extra butter over the cabbage.
Place the cabbage in a round 9 in (22.5 cm) ovenproof dish. The dish should be just large enough to hold the cabbage comfortably and retain its shape. Preheat the oven to 190°C/350°F/Gas 4.
Pour the beef broth around the edges of the cabbage and place the dish in the oven. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes, basting occasionally with the broth if the cabbage looks dry on top. After 40 minutes spread the top of the cabbage with the soured cream, masking it completely. Return to the oven and continue baking for 20 minutes more.
Serve the cabbage by cutting it into thick wedges and ladling the pan juices over it.
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