A huge favourite in Poland, these are usually filled with minced meat and rice but in the fasting period leading up to Easter (Lent), they are also made with just rice and mushrooms. Many Central European countries have a version of this dish, but I think the Polish one is great. My version of the golabki has a combination of half beef and half pork mince. I do it this way as I find that the beef on its own can make this dish a little dry inside, but if you prefer to only use one kind of meat than just adjust the quantity to suit.

Ingredients:

1 large white cabbage (aprox. 1kg)

2 cups of uncooked rice

500g minced beef

500g minced pork

salt and pepper to taste

Tomato Sauce

4 cups water (1Lt)

2 stock cubes (any flavour) beef, chicken or vegetable

4 Tbsp of tomato paste

2 Tbsp of flour

4 Tbsp of cream

salt and pepper to taste

(note: if you prefer to use a tomato base from the shop you can use that instead. You will need approx. 1lt then season with salt and pepper and cream)

Method:

Cabbage Rolls

Peel the first few outer leaves of the cabbage and cut out the inner white hard part with a sharp knife.

Place the whole cabbage with the bottom up, into a large pot,  large enough to accommodate the cabbage. Pour enough cold water over the cabbage to cover it and bring to the boil. As the cabbage has been cooking for a few minutes some of the outer leaves will start to pull away. As the leaves pull away, take them out on to a plate to cool, continue cooking the rest until you have most of the leaves out. (if the leaves start getting to small don’t worry just stop and discard the rest that you feel you will not use. This is the tedious bit out of the whole process but there is really no other way to do it.

While the cabbage is cooking, cook the rice (see my version of cooking rice in a microwave )

Mix the meat with the cooked rice and season with salt and pepper.

Once you have your ingriedients ready it is time to assemble the golabki.

Place one cabbage leave on a cutting board in front of you, grab a handful of the meat and rice filling and place it roughly in the middle of the cabbage leave. Fold the bottom of the leaf over the filling then the sides and roll forward. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling. Don’t worry if you have some cabbage left over. I have a great recipe for a side dish to use up the left over cooked cabbage. See Cooked White/Red Cabbage

Place all the cabbage rolls into a large pot and pour over water to cover. (note: you can use the same pot that was used to cook the cabbage) Cook in the pot for about 30 minutes or until tender.

Tomato Sauce

Bring the water and stock cubes to the boil. Mix together the tomato paste, flour and cream. Add a few tablespoons of the hot stock to the mixture and then add everything back to the stock in order to create the sauce. Keep stirring , making sure no lumps form. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve Cabbage Rolls on  a plate and either pour the sauce over or serve it on the side.