Return to Main Recipes Page/Return to Home Page
1/2 up dried porcini mushrooms
Soak porcini in 1 cup of hot water for 30 minutes. Drain and strain the porcini water through a cheesecloth-lined strainer*. Reserve the liquid. Chop the porcini medium-fine.
Soak the rice in cold water for 15 minutes. Core the cabbage with a sharp knife. Bring a large kettle of salted water to a boil. Drop in the whole cabbage and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the cabbage with 2 large spoons and place it in a strainer. When cool enough to handle, remove the largest leaves. You will need about 16-18 large leaves.**
Drain the rice. Quarter the large onion and place it with the egg whites into the container of a food processor and puree. Combine this onion puree with rice, spices and soaked and chopped dried mushrooms. Bring 1 cup stock and the strained reserved porcine liquids to a boil in a large sauté pan. Add chopped fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring over high heat until all the liquid is absorbed. Add the mushrooms to the rice mixture.
Place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling on each cabbage leaf and roll up tucking in the sides. Fasten with toothpicks. In a deep kettle, bring the tomatoes, lemon juice, brown sugar, chopped onion and 1 cup of stock up to a simmer.
Add the cabbage rolls. Cover the kettle and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hrs., until the rice is cooked. The leaves should be translucent and the porcini should taste like cabbage. Baste cabbage occasionally. Adjust the sweet and sour ratio and season with salt and pepper.
* A paper coffee filter works well
Poster's Notes:
Posted by Marilyn Jacobs
2 cups rice (or grated potato for Pesach)
1 very large or 2 medium green cabbages
1 large onion, left whole, and 1 onion, chopped
2 egg whites
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
2 cups vegetable stock
1 pound mushrooms, chopped coarsely (about 6 cups)
3 cups canned pureed tomatoes
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup brown sugar
** Try putting the cabbage in the freezer rather than boiling to make it easy to separate leaves
While it calls for rice, why not substitute grated potato during Passover?