Stuffed Cabbage

Warm and comforting stuffed cabbage is a staple in Polish and old-time Jewish cooking. This was a dish brought to America by immigrants and cooked by Polish women and Jewish baleboostehs (to rhyme with "walla puss ta", women who according to Leo Rosten in "The Joys of Yiddish" are splendid cooks, bakers, laundresses, and above all, keep an immaculate home.

2 quarts water
1 head savoy cabbage, cored
1 cup milk
1 1/2 T. kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
1 cup bread crumbs
1 granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
2 T. chopped Italian parsley
1 T. chopped sage leaves
2 T. garlic, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 T. sugar
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 eggs


Tomato sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 T. thyme leaves
1 T. tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cabbage and cook 4-5 minutes until outer leaves are soft. Remove outer leaves, drain them and place on a kitchen towel and pat dry. With a sharp knife, remove big rib from back of leaves.

Meanwhile make the filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, sage, garlic, onion, apple, sugar, paprika, allspice, salt and pepper and mix with hands. Lay the cabbage leaves on a work surface and place about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the meat mixture at the center of each leaf. Roll the bottom of the leaf over the meat, fold the sides over and roll up the stem until completely closed.

To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add carrot and thyme and cook for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place a few leaves on botom of a Dutch oven add some sauce and scatter the sour Kraut. Arrange stuffed cabbage in a single layer and transfer the sauce to the casserole. Scatter more sour kraut around cabbage rolls. Cook the stuffed cabbage until firm to the touch, 25-30 minutes.

Place sour cream in a small bowl and ladle in 3/4 cup of tomato sauce. Whisk to combine. Add sour cream mixture back to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Serve with additional sour cream. Serve hot.