Stuffed Cabbage

How to Make Stuffed Cabbage:

Don't you love it when you see someone so into what they are doing, that they forget everything else around them? My friend Annie came over to teach me how to make her Stuffed Cabbage recipe. I never thought I would like Stuffed Cabbage, but after tasting hers the other day I had to eat my words, and go out and find a big, leafy, green cabbage.

Annie told me to buy the biggest cabbage I could find, two bottles of olive oil, four onions, pearl rice, and some tomatoes. She said she would bring the rest.

When Annie saw the cabbage she exclaimed that it was the biggest cabbage she had ever seen. In fact she must have said it a million times, during the course of making stuffed cabbage, "Mon Dieu, what an amazing cabbage!" And like a woman who loves what she is doing, she started to prepare the cabbage without even taking off her hat, nor putting on an apron. Her hands worked worked steadily, I barely had time to record her steps.
Gently tear off the leaves of the cabbage, all the way to the tight core.
Then trim down (but not through) the hard, back, rib on each cabbage leaf (photo above)
Then trim a tiny bit off the top of each leaf.

While Annie was busy preparing the cabbage she gave me instructions on how to make the cabbage stuffing (Farce in French). Peel and puree four, yellow onions. Add the puree onions to a heavy pan.

My eyes were watering badly I could hardly see what I was doing, Annie said, "The next time you peel onions, dip your knife into a glass of water each time you go to use it."

That is fine and dandy I wanted to say, but since I didn't know how to say that in French, I pointed out that I pureed the onions with a mixer. "Oh," she said, " I didn't hear it. Wear goggles the next time you do that."

Add the pureed onions, plus a teaspoon of salt and pepper, to a heavy sauce pan. Then add at least four to six cups of olive oil. I daresay that I questioned Annie as I poured the bottle of olive oil into the pan, "Annie are you sure? Gee, this is a ton of oil?" Annie said, "Am I sure? Sure I am sure!" I stopped at four cups. Annie came over and added at least two more cups of olive oil.

Hence, pureed onions must swim in olive oil.

 

Saute the pureed onions on medium heat, stir often, until golden. While this is going on, add a large pot of water to the stove, to blanch the cabbage leaves. When the onions are golden and somewhat caramelized, add two pounds of pearl rice, continue to stir, saute until golden (about forty-five minutes.) Do not add water. The rice cooks in the olive oil-onion mixture.

 

 

When the water is boiling, add the cabbage leaves one at a time, gently push them down, add up to ten leaves at a time. Blanche the darker ones together, and then the lighter ones together. Do not mix the two, because the darker ones take longer to blanch.

Add ten leaves to the boiling water, the water will stop boiling at this point, when the water starts to re-boil, count five minutes for the darker leaves, and three minutes for the lighter leaves.

After each batch of ten cabbage leaves have cooked take them out and put them into a strainer, then add them to a plate separately to cool off. Cook all the cabbage leaves this way.

This is why my house did not smell like chocolate. Blanching cabbage has its own perfume.

"Mon Dieu what an amazing cabbage!"

 

When the onion-rice mixture is carmelized, and the rice is nearly cooked (tender with a slight chewy texture,) add four cups of tomato sauce (I used French Husband's homemade tomato sauce.) and one cup of finely chopped, fresh fennel leaves (Annie gathers fennel leaves in the summer, blanches them, and then freezes them in one cup packets.) stir the tomato and fennel into the carmelized onion rice mixture thoroughly. Cook the tomato sauce and fennel for a few minutes longer.

   

Put the cooked cabbage stuffing into a bowl. Take a blanched cabbage leaf, start with the darker green ones first, put the cabbage leaf on the palm of your hand. Take two heaping tablespoons of onion-rice mixture and add it to the middle of the cabbage leaf. Fold one side over, then the other side over, then roll starting with the stem side first, and roll it up. Add the stuffed cabbage leaf to the heavy sauce pan that you used to cook the rice mixture, use it as it -do not clean the pan. Put the stuffed, cabbage rolls in the pan one by one, snug but not to tight. When the pan is full, with at least two inches head room, add three to four cups of the broth water (Use the water that you used to blanch the leaves in.)

 

Add a plate on top of the stuffed cabbage rolls, then a lid. I asked Annie why and she said that it gives a tighter seal.

Cover the pan and bring the stuffed cabbage rolls to a boil. Then turn the burner down as low as it can go and leave it to cook slowly for about forty five minutes to an hour.

Below you will find a video that my daughter Chelsea took while Annie and I were at the end of our Stuffed Cabbage making. Mind you it is uncut, untouched and full of pans banging, my French grammar errors and well it is what it is.... the only thing missing is the taste of the stuffed cabbages.

Stuffed Cabbage:

One large green cabbage,
Four yellows onions pureed,
One cup of fresh fennel leaves (the plant, not the bulb),
Six cups of olive oil,
Two pounds of rice,
Three to four cups of tomato sauce,
One teaspoon of salt,
One teaspoon of pepper,
One heavy sauce pan to cook the onion and rice stuffing,
One large pan to blanch the cabbage leaves,
One strainer
One large bowl for the cook stuffing.
Preparing and cooking time about three hours.

Comments

[Hasmade Designs]

Oh my, a lot of steps, but I know it's all worth the end product, yes?! and thank you for the video, it's nice to finally hear you!

I love the photo of Annie cooking away at your stove and the table full of cabbage behind her. She's like a sweet grandmere cooking for her famille. :-)

[Jill Flory]

What a blessing you have in Annie! Get all you can out of her brain now!! She is wonderful, thanks for sharing.
Jill

[herhimnbryn]

Glorious video. Has Annie seen it yet?

Sounds like a good vegetarian recipe. Like you I gulped at he amount of oil!

[anna]

How lovely to see you and Annie, Corey, and to be able to hear your voice. I almost felt as though I was in your kitchen with you. I'm salivating at the thought of those luscious stuffed cabbage.

[caren]

What an undertaking! I was so glad to finally see and hear you. You are usually behind the camera, so we never get to see you! Annie is such a gift.

Looks delicious - thanks for sharing!

[Sheala]

WOW!!! 3 hours or so to whip up dinner. Looks yummy.

I hope to write you soon about where babies come from! No sign yet.....

[Eileen @ Passions to Pastry]

Whoa... I'd say anything cooked up in 6 cups of French olive oil has to taste good! How I wish I had Annie as my neighbor. I'm certain you know how lucky you are. (And I still like your kitchen. O.K... you do need more electrical outlets, but it is one charming kitchen).

[Katherine]

Thanks for introducing us to Annie...what a little gem she is! Keep her coming!

[Linda Hanselman]

OK how cool was that video! I loved it and hearing and seeing Annie reminded me of my French Grandmother. Although what a labor intensive recipe, it looks and sounds delicious. I've cooked a lot and this is a first for me cooking with all that olive oil. I assume the oil was not really hot and was used more as a poaching liquid? Do it again and tell Annie thank you.

[Paula]

Lots of olive oil. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

This brings back so many memories of cooking with my mother back when 3 hours to make the meal was no big thing. My mom would make this is during the summer and the smell of the cabbage would bring flies to the screens........and we'd have strict orders to not open the screen doors for fear of letting in the flies.......things sure have changed.

[Emily]

What a treat to see!! More future videos please Corey!!! You are both adorable together.

[kim]

I really enjoyed watching that little video of Annie and you.

[Candy]

Those look so good!! I love the video. What a treat for us to get to you both you and Annie in action. Thank you Chelsea!

[Alena]

Two beautiful ladies cooking, having fun, speaking French?!
O, I want to be there too!
I cook with cabbage very often, but honestly suck at making cabbage rolls, yours look divine.
Thank you girls!

[Annette]

Great video! I wish I could enjoy the smells, as I'm sure it was so enticing! The attire is dressy for the kitchen, but we are in France, no?

[Dixie]

Corey... this sounds so much like the recipe that my little French grandmother made when I was a little girl... I can hardly wait to try it and see if it tastes the same. Thanks for the recipe and the wonderful story to go along with it!
blessings. Dixie

[Lemon Tree Tami]

What a great gift you have in your neighbor Annie! She's simply amazing! Thanks for sharing this with us. :-)

[nancy]

oh it is so great to hear you rvoice corey!!! now i really miss you!!!
nancyxx

[Catalina]

I have done this but not as well...so the recipe is very welcome!!!! with all the tips. This is great Thank you Corey and Annie!

Love the video :)

[pam]

What a great idea to make a video. How wonderful to hear your sweet voice in French and English, and Annie's wonderful French accent. You look so chic with your scarf. I love the way the two of you interacted together. It reminds me of the times when I was newly married (in my mid 20's) and my great aunt who was 92 would come to my house to bake her magic, and show me a thing or two. I cherish those times with her. Thanks for sharing your wonderful French life with us.

[Jeanne]

Thanks so much
So lovely
You are lucky to have each other
My Grandmother always made her cabbage rolls on a pot on the stove.
Kiss the cook often.
Love you
Jeanne

[Kristy]

6 cups of olive oil?!!!!

[Alina]

Three hours to cook and prepare? Yikes! I can't think of many things I would spend 3 hours doing. :D

The video was a special treat. Thanks Chelsea.

[Isa]

I'm so glad that you all have one another - what a special and lovely friendship! I have never been a fan of cabbage, but this recipe looks promising in regards to changing my tune! I'm definitely going to try it, and wish I were in France with wonderful women who were in my kitchen cooking with me :)
xo Isa

[Kenda]

Annie is so precious! She has many simple, but valuable ideas. Those are truly the best! It was fun to hear the two of you speak in French! Thanks for sharing...Kenda

[Cindy]

What a treat to see you both in "action"! I very much enjoyed hearing your voice. Annie is a treasure.

[Kel]

Love it! You listen to Annie so intently and talk with Chelsea casually like a mom and daughter do. To hear your voice! Isn't the internet grand?

[Marilyn]

My mouth began watering as I viewed your pictures. Then, when viewing the video, I could almost smell the wonderful cooking fragrance in your kitchen.

I was really struck by the love and respect you have for each other!

Marilyn (in Dallas)

[susanna]

Oh, I loved reading this post, Corey! I reacted the same way when I read six cups of olive oil -SIX??! But then she would know! It's amazing what our grandmothers know about cooking - and often they don't have to refer to a cookbook. I grinned when I read her recommendation for wearing goggles while pureeing the onions. Hee! So cute! I'd love to read more of her recipes in the future. Who knows - maybe Annie will become a new chef celebrity!

Also, I like your video, Corey. You and Chelsea need to do more of these! It's fun to see you in action.

[Jeanne]

Great video and SIX cups of olive oil!!!??? Love your kitchen chairs.

[Lilly]

Thank you so much. It's wonderful that you're recording Annie for us and for posterity.

I had a 92 yr old friend who was Irish and we always planned that she would show me how to make Irish soda bread but we never got to it and now she's gone! It's great that you're doing this. Annie reminds me of my mom and aunts who were of French heritage.

[Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife]

6 cups of olive oil? 2 lbs. rice? 4 cups tomato sauce?

Is she cooking for the French Army. Seriously, that's ALOT of cabbage rolls.

- Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife

[Rosemary Plunkett]

I tried to watch the video and got an error saying sorry this video is no longer available. Not sure why. Love the recipe!

[Angela Marie Hilton]

Corey, I loved this! You need to do this more often.
You do realize ~ this is the first time I have heard your lovely voice. It is just the way I have imagined.
:)

The stuffed cabbage looks so yummy! I wish I could sample one.
How sweet to have your own Julia!

Have a wonderful day!

[Denise Moulun-Pasek]

Dear Corey,

Thank you for letting us into your home this way. I mean, you've already let us in but this is more intimate n'est-ce pas?

Loved it! AND I will try the recipe!

Bisous for the lovely Annie,

Denise

[Miz Booshay]

What a lovely surprise!
Bonjour Annie
Bonjour Corey

Merci!

[Cindy]

Corey, that is so generous of you to show a video of the cabbage making.

I really enjoyed it. Reminds me of all the time I spent in the kitchen with my granny.

Those cabbage rolls sound delicious. Thank you for taking the video Chelsea.

Bon appetit!

[Patti]

Thank you for the video, it reminded me of cooking with my granmother when I was in high school. Now that was cooking!

[Shelley Noble]

So nice to see you and Annie in action, Corey. Photos and video were lovely. And now I'm hungry.

[Julie Ann]

Hope they were delicious. Lovely to see you moving around and talking - although not enough in French I thought ! Annie is so typically French in every way - I love that she makes no concession to the fact that French is not your first language ! Charmed, Jx

[Joanny]

Corey

You managed to capture three generations in one small moment in time and present the timeless art cooking & sharing of food in way that touched us and [via the magic of the internet] brought us all closer in remembrances of the special people in our lives, grandmothers, old friends, aunts,
All in a way oh so special and close to our hearts.
Are we all invited to dinner..
bon apetite ,,,,,,,,,Joanny

[welltraveled]

Big HUGS for Annie..She could become a BIG American TV star

[Denise]

The video was such a treat, Corey.
So fun to watch.
I am in the mood for some stuffed cabbage.

[Suzanne]

Wow! What an excitement to finally see and hear you!!! :)

Thanks for the lovely video you shared, Corey!

Love*

[Jenny]

Ah the internet! For all the grossness that can be in cyberspace, it is also the same medium that has given me the wonderful pleasure of knowing your thoughts, philosophies, loves and surroundings and now sharing such an intimate dear moment with the sublimeness that is Annie, the delicate French accent of your daughter, and your American tinged French that somehow sounded just like the voice of you I have in my head as I read your blog. Happy tales to you.

[Vicki]

My comment is waaaaaay down here at the bottom, but I have to add my exclamations... oh what a wonderful post!!! Amazing! I loved the video clip! It makes the whole connection so real and warm. Thank you thank you

[Anastasia]

I'm a big fan of stuffed cabbage, but I never thought to include fennel in the mix. Great idea.

[Linda]

Speaking of crying when cutting onions, there is a book out called, "The Sharper The Knife, The Less You Cry". I'm thinking my dull knives might be why I weep so much when I cut onions.

[Brother Mathew]

Damn that looks good. Love cabbage. Nice video Chelsea.

[Y]

My mouth is watering! I always made stuffed cabbage w/ground beef, onions, etc, never though about rice & onions. Much healther way to enjoy this dish. Thanks for sharing.

[Susan]

I echo the sentiments of everyone else here, how wonderful to have the added dimension of video this time. I hope you'll think about maybe making a video clip a regular part of your blogging...maybe once a week? Maybe some video footage of your next trip to the brocante? :-)

[Heather]

Always fun to see bloggers in action. FYI, I think a more effective way to deal with onions is to have a candle burning nearby--helps to oxidize the fumes that cause your eyes to burn.

[Marcie]

OH What a treat,,YOu are amazing in your surprises and gifts to us.,,Now you have done it....FH will want to be a star too,,,We would love that too...and the children too. I am a home movie fan. You must show us the flea market someday. How wonderful to see you move and your voice. Annie is a total peach. What did she say as you moved off camera,,she looked right at the camera. I wish I knew french. Thank you Corey!! Thank you.
Love
Marcie

[ann-marie]

great recipe~great friendship!as always you share your blog with a bit of your heart and soul~i adore the fact that you blog everyday...you are a pure joy,ann-marie

[amylia]

Wonderful to see the video! I really felt like I was there with you!

I LOVE the idea of taking a video of the Brocante! Oh wow! I also love the idea of a video just strolling through your town--too bad we couldn't smell it, too, as you could take us there around lunch-time!

WONDERFUL!! Hey, you could also show us where you write from! That would be neat! Mme. Corey in action!

[~Kim]

I love seeing you on video and hearing your voice! I hope you will do more videos and include your family! :-)

[Amy]

Watching the video reminds me of my mother in law and I in the kitchen.... Cooking with her (or even just being in ther kitchen with her while SHE cooks) is such a treat.....

[Barbara Sydney Australia]

Oh the magic of the internet. I felt like I was sitting at that table with you all, I could smell and taste the food.
What fun this is! Thank you so much xx

[Shirley M]

There is a neighborhood in southeast Atlanta, Georgia called Cabbage Town. The cottages in the neighborhood were built by the Fulton Bag Co. to house mill workers who migrated from Appalachia at the turn of the last century.

It is said the neighborhood got its name because as you walked past the houses the smell of cabbage cooking wafted through the air. The mill no longer exists and there are no millworkers living there, but people live in the houses and the historical area is still called cabbage town.

[Mary]

Great post Corey and Annie is certainly the person to have around one's kitchen expounding on the glories of the cabbage - the huge cabbage!! I haven't made stuffed cabbage in years - think I'll give it a try, just know the secret is in the bottle of olive oil in this recipe!!

[nikki]

I love stuffed cabbage and use a recipe a Polish friend gave me. This makes me so hungry for it--right now!

[beachy]

I see a couple of French movie stars! You both are such dears! I wish I could give you ladies a hug! =))))

[Nancy ~ Fete et Fleur]

What a great blog post. I love Annie!

Nancy

[andrea]

What a fun video-you should do more of them!
Andrea

[liannallama v]

oh, that sounds so delicious! I can almost taste it! I haven't had stuffed cabbage in years--when I was a kid I used to only eat the middle--I couldn't stand cabbage, LOL! Mom told me I was a bad Polack, LOL! I have my great-aunt's recipe--maybe I should dig it out and make some this weekend, but I bet it's nowhere near as good as yours with all that olive oil!

[Joanna]

I love this video, Corey!

[misschris]

Adorable!

[Debbie in CA : )]

I have settled myself into a quiet corner on this rainy Sunday morning. Some sleep late while others attend church -- life has so many variables. I thought to come visit you for a quiet little read. BUT . . . my stomach is growling so loudly that I must away to the kitchen for some food!

Marvelous recipe, video, and most of all peek into your kitchen to find you with your dear friend Annie. I love coming to play at your house. I never know what will be on the menu . . . literally. : D

[Carol]

I had to wait until visiting my daughter to see the video and comment, as my computer is pokey and old.

I have absolutely loved your posts about Annie!!!

Now I'm off to see if I can find you in your bathtub.

I so love your blog, Corey!!!