Thomasina Miers’ recipe for stuffed cabbage in white wine and escabeche, with buttered dill and pea rice | Sunday best
I love stuffed vegetables,When I was young, I came across a recipe for stuffed aubergines in an old book of my mother’s and must have cooked it a score of times,Later, in the early 1990s and to the echoes of nouvelle cuisine, Delia Smith showed us how we could work similar magic with peppers and tomatoes,Then the technique went deeply out of fashion, but I stayed loyal, and continued quietly stuffing tomatoes, pumpkins and courgettes, all no doubt influenced by my travels in Mexico,Thoday’s stuffed cabbage is inspired by the most delicious tongue in a tantalisingly light escabeche that I once had at Nicos in Mexico City, and also because I can’t get enough of cabbage at the moment.
You can make the Oaxacan-style picadillo filling a day in advance, if you fancy – the flavour will improve overnight,Prep 10 min Cook 1 hr 10 min Serves 4-6Salt and black pepper 1 medium savoy cabbage6 tbsp olive oil500g pork mince 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped2 celery sticks, trimmed and finely diced 1 tsp ground allspice 2 tsp ground cumin 100g raisins3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 2 400g tins whole plum tomatoes 1 tbsp chipotle en adobo, or smoky harissa1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 3 tsp runny honey 50g pine nuts, toasted1 jalapeño, stalk discarded, flesh finely chopped300ml white winePut a large pan of salted water on to boil,Meanwhile, cut away the stem of the cabbage and separate 15-16 leaves,Cut the rest of the cabbage in half, then core and shred one piece and put the other in the fridge for a future meal,Blanch the whole cabbage leaves, in batches, if need be, in the simmering water for three to four minutes, then scoop out, drain and set aside.
Reserve thecooking water to cook the buttered dill and pea rice below, if you like,Put a casserole on a medium-high heat and, after a few minutes, pour in half the oil,Add the pork, season generously, and stir-fry for seven to eight minutes, breaking up the meat so it doesn’t clump and stays in small pieces,Add the onion and celery, cook for a further seven to eight minutes, then add the spices, raisins and garlic, and cook for five minutes more,Stir in the tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon as you do so, then mix in the chipotle en adobo, vinegar, a teaspoon of the honey and the pine nuts.
Simmer gently while you get on with the rest of the dish.Put a splash of oil in the empty cabbage pan, turn on the heat to medium-high, then stir in the shredded cabbage and jalapeño, and fry gently for five minutes.Pour in the wine and the remaining honey, simmer for five minutes, season generously, then tip the escabeche mix into a wide, 5-7cm-deep baking dish.With a sharp knife or peeler, shave away most of the thick rib from each blanched cabbage leaf.Fill each leaf with two to three heaped tablespoons of the pork mix, then roll up and tuck in the ends to hold in the contents.
Arrange the rolls on top of the shredded cabbage in the baking dish, drizzle with the remaining oil and bake for 20 minutes.Serve with the buttered dill and pea rice below.Dill, butter and lemon are magic together, but add sizzled garlic to the mix and you have the most delicious buttered rice.Prep 5 min Cook 20 min Serves 4-6300g long-grain rice 600ml vegetable stock (see the stuffed cabbage recipe above), or waterSalt and black pepper 70g unsalted butter 2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated220g frozen peas1 large bunch dill, finely choppedJuice of ½ lemonRinse the rice, tip it into a saucepan and cover with the stock (or water).Season generously, bring to a boil and simmer according to the packet instructions.
Ten minutes before the end of the cooking time, cover the rice and turn the heat to its lowest setting while it finishes cooking.Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan on a medium-low heat, add the garlic and fry, stirring, for a few minutes, until fragrant and translucent.Once the rice is cooked, stir in the peas, dill, garlic butter and lemon juice.Cover, leave for five minutes, then fluff up with a fork and serve with the cabbage rolls.
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