Million-Dollar Cabbage 🥬

Updating a Classic Comfort Food that now tastes like $1M

What comes to mind when you think of “comfort food”?

Depending on which part of the world you’re in the answers will vary a ton

-Chicken & Dumplings 🇺🇸

-Beans on Toast 🇬🇧

-Poutine 🇨🇦

-Tahdig 🇮🇷

-Jollof 🇳🇬

-Käsespätzle 🇩🇪

-Omurice 🇯🇵

-Polenta 🇮🇹

I haven’t even scratched the surface but, you get the idea 🤝

At their core, comfort foods are a concoction of humble ingredients that are transformed into a state of delicious that speaks to your soul and emotions.

This is part of the power and magic of food that can bring people back in time or to a certain memory the instant they taste a similar flavor or dish.

Since most people are full-on experiencing the chilly winter 🥶 I was reminded of an idea I’ve had written down for years, but failed to work on…. until now 🙌

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage is too often put at the bottom of the list of “delicious ingredients”

It’s regarded as ‘boring’, ‘cheap’, and ‘poor food’.

Few ingredients can be transformed so vividly from ordinary-to-delicious as cabbage, though.

Being in the same family and brussels sprouts, turnips, kale… people think of sulfury and bitter flavors.

If you treat cabbage properly though, it has a wonderful ability to turn sweet and succulent.

Smart food cultures have known this for centuries and that’s why in certain parts of the world Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are the ultimate comfort food.

Don’t believe me?

Just do a quick Wikipedia search

And they are missing a ton… from Japan to Italy.

Stuffed cabbage has been so recognized as a soul-satisfying, efficient and delicious way to prepare food that a lot of the globe 🌍 is in on the party.

Within each of these regions comes certain variations… different spices, aromatics, ingredients, thin sauces, thicker sauces etc.

I’ve for years wanted to make my own that would be so comforting, but also just completely luscious and luxurious that it would make you feel like you’re eating in a fine dining restaurant with a Grandma as the head chef… 😉

So that’s where we are today… taking the humble cabbage and then applying every hack, tip, trick and flavor combination I could tap into… that truly makes these cabbage rolls taste like A Million Dollars.

These are truly luxe. The sauce is like silk and the filling is spiked with a combination of spices, aromatics and fresh herbs that at first glance you wouldn’t think of… but trust me… this is a marriage made in heaven.

We are pushing this over the edge with (2) luxury ingredients… but don’t worry, if you can’t get either, I’ve got some amendments to make sure you still get a near-same result…

Let’s cook Million-Dollar Cabbage Rolls 👨‍🍳

Note: A lot of the recipes are pay walled because I put a lot of time testing, and adapting for home kitchens… this goes out to everyone so you can see the kind of detail and expertise I provide to help you cook the best food of your life 🙏

After all, it’s the holidays 🌲 🤝

Million-Dollar Cabbage

Please read the recipe notes first. This will give a ton of “why” so as you’re cooking

Recipe Notes:

Easy Cabbage Prep: Most recipes call for blanching a whole head(s) of cabbage in boiling water, draining and then letting cool. It’s a hassle. Instead, just freeze the cabbage all day before you want to make the recipe. Then leave out overnight. The cabbage will wilt and the leaves will separate while thawing… making this super easy. No mess, no pots of boiling water, and if you’re into nutrition… no high heat that possibly pulls out nutrients.

Rice Cooking: This is perfect with leftover rice. So if you’ve made my Curry Magic recipe, just make extra rice and then you have it on hand the day or two after. Long grain, basmati, please.

Luxe-ing it up: We are going to use Foie Gras to make this absolutely sublime. If you aren’t familiar, foie gras is fattened duck liver which is basically the most luxurious and delicious “animal butter” you can get. It’s a delicacy in French cuisine, among others. You can buy prepared torchon or or terrine. That’s easiest.

I still make my own from time to time so I used that. If you have a lobe of foie, just clean and cube enough for the 4oz measurement.

The Foie will melt and soak into the filling and also ooze out into the sauce while the rolls bake. Frothing the sauce before serving gives you a thinner version of what seems like “lobster bisque”, but the fat has been infused with all the warming spices and meat. It’s heavenly

If you don’t have or can’t get Foie… use 4oz of cubed salted butter, like Kerrigold.

The other ingredient is Brandy. Deglazing the onions that have been bloomed with the paprika adds a wonderful depth and richness that puts this filling on Luxe Standards.

To Brown or Not to Brown: If you see a recipe calling for browning all the meat… just stop, drop, and run. 🏃‍♂️ If you brown all the meat prior, when you make the rolls and bake them you are going to overcook the meat and it’s going to be dry and pasty. I don’t care how much rice or egg you put in. Not cool

We are going to brown just the beef, over extremely high heat, then use the same pan to sweat the onions and bloom some of the spices, then deglaze with the brandy. Sinple

Blooming Spices: The spices we want to bloom are the 2 paprikas. If you only have 1, then just use that for both measurements. Since paprika comes from dried chilis we want to bloom these in the fat the onion and garlic are cooking in, much like an Indian curry.

Quatre Epices: This is a classic French spice used in a lot of game, duck and foie gras applications. If you have some on hand, use it. If not, I give the blend below. Equal parts: white pepper, ground ginger, fresh grated nutmeg, and ground clove.

You may be thinking… those spices and paprika?!?! 🤔

Yes… trust me

Salt: You’re going to think there’s too much salt in this recipe. There isn’t.

The raw meat needs salt

The onions and spices need salt

The rice needs salt

The cabbage isn’t salted so the filling needs to compensate

The sauce needs salt.

The secret of success is to make sure your filling and sauce are seasoned on point to compensate for the cabbage… so taste your filling and sauce multiple times!

Passata:If you can use passata. Failing that, tomato puree or canned tomato sauce (no herbs) will work

BowTiedOctopod | Culinary Chad @BowTiedOctopod

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗲𝘀 🍅 Passata di Pomodori is 𝗻𝗼𝘁 the same as canned tomato purée or sauce Passata is raw, strained and de-seeded before packing You may see them labeled “strained tomatoes” Wonderful vibrant tomato flavor Using in the next Substack

Full Fat Dairy: You’ll see most sauces for stuffed cabbage as a thin tomato sauce, or beer, red peppers and tomato reduced

No 🛑

For Million-Dollar Cabbage the sauce needs to be smooth, velvety and unctious. Using sour cream or creme freche gets us there. Reduced or no-fat will split… trust me it’s worth it. The sauce will reduce while it bakes in the oven

Garnishes: Fresh dill is a must. Again, you’re thinking “Paprika, dill, nutmeg, allspice.. etc.. what’s this dude on?” Trust me.

To serve remove the rolls to a serving platter and blitz the sauce in a blender or with a stick blender to re-emsulsify the foie (or butter). Then douse the cabbage and top with the fresh dill.

INGREDIENTS

For the Rolls

2 small heads of cabbage (Savoy ideal, green is fine) 

2 c cooked long grain rice (basmati)

3 TB avocado oil, divided

1 large yellow onion , finely chopped

1 lb ground beef 

1 lbs ground pork 

4oz foie gras torchon, cubed (or cleaned, cubed foie gras)

1/4 cup brandy

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and grated

5 cloves garlic, minced (microplane is easy)

5 tsp salt, divided

1 tsp black pepper

3 bay leaves

2 tsp Sweet Paprika

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

2 tsp Quatre épices: (1/2tsp each of ground: white pepper, dry ginger, grated nutmeg, ground clove)

For the sauce

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche (full fat)

2 cups Passata (or sub tomato puree)

Sea salt, to taste. At least 1 tsp

1 bunch Fresh dill

METHOD

1. Freeze the cabbages the day before you want to prepare the rolls. The night before, leave out and defrost cabbage at room temp and then keep them in the fridge until you are ready.
   

2. Heart a frying pan over high until ripping hot. Add 2 TB oil and then add the beef, spread out in pockets (not in a large mass) to promote browning. Let the meat cook 80% on that one side to get browned. Leave it alone.

   

3. Turn the heat off. Give the meat a few stirs, add 2 tsp sea salt and combine. The meat is fine if there is still some pink. Transfer to a bowl or platter and put in the fridge to cool down quickly.

4. In the same pan, over med high heat, add the remaining TB oil and cook onions over low heat for 3-5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, 1 tsp salt and cook until fragrant (30-60 seconds). Now add the (2) paprikas and cook, stirring constantly to bloom in the fat and not clump. 1-2 mins.

   

   

5. Now take the heat to high, add the brandy. Stir constantly while the pan sizzles. If the pan lights with a flame, no worries. Flambé is ok here. When the pan bottom has no residue and the liquid is almost evaporated, take off heat and add to the beef in the fridge. Stir a few times, and allow to contine cooling.

6. In a large bowl combine pork, foie gras (or butter), carrots, rice, epices quatre, and 2 tsp salt.

   

   

7. In a medium bowl whisk together stock, passata and sour cream (or creme fraiche). Season with salt, taste, adjust. Set aside.

8. When the beef/onion mix is room temp, or chilled, add to the pork mix.

   

9. Add 1 more tsp salt and mix together thoroughly, with a spoon or your hands, until combined. Make to be gentles and to get all the spices evenly mixed without mashing the foie gras (or butter)

   

10. Preheat your oven to 375F

11. Place your head of cabbage on a cutting board, cut out the core and pull the leaves away from the stalk. Repeat with the second head of cabbage.

    

    

12. Organize your mise en place, so everything is within reach.

13. Take a cabbage leaf and cut the thick rib out, so it's not too thick.

    

14. Flip the rounded side to you, put 1/3 c of filling at the bottom of the wide part of a leaf, flatten it to a log shape and roll it like a burrito, tucking sides in half way up.

    

    

    

15. Note: Your cabbage rolls will vary in size depending on the size of cabbage leaves. My leaves were decent sized, even getting the smallest cabbages. You may do 2TB for smaller leaves. You just want to make sure you’ve got enough filling in the leaves

    
    

16. Pour a cup of the sauce on the bottom of a casserole, with the bay leaves spread out, and start stacking your cabbage rolls.

    

    

    

17. If you dish is deep enough, you can double stack… add more sauce (1/3 c) and stack more. If not, lightly douse the tops with more sauce. Cover and Bake for 45 mins

18. Remove the cover and bake for 20-30 more minutes. The sauce will be bubbling and slightly reduced. Use a cake tester to test the center for doneness… Don’t overcook the crap out of them!

    

19. Rest for 10 mins, then remove the rolls to a platter.

20. Take the sauce into a blender (or stick blender) and process until frothy and emulsified.

21. Douse the sauce over top and sprinkle with copious amounts of fresh dill and finishing salt, if needed.

    BowTiedOctopod | Culinary Chad @BowTiedOctopod

    Money Shot Million-Dollar Cabbage

    
    Stay tuned… my holiday gift guide is coming up next 🙌