Hungarian-Style Stuffed Cabbage (Töltött Káposzta)

Name: Hungarian-Style Stuffed Cabbage (Töltött Káposzta)
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 8
Ingredients: Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 large head cabbage, cored; 3 tbsp. olive oil; 8 oz. smoked ham steak, cut into 1/4" pieces; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 1 large yellow onion, minced; 5 1 ⁄ 2 cups chicken stock; 1 1 ⁄ 3 cups fine yellow cornmeal; 1 ⁄ 2 tbsp. Hungarian hot paprika; 1 ⁄ 2 tbsp. Hungarian sweet paprika, plus more for garnish; 1 tsp. roughly chopped parsley, for garnish; 1 Italian frying pepper, thinly sliced into rings and seeded, for garnish; 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste; Sour cream, for serving

Serves
serves 8

TODD COLEMAN

A thick cornmeal and smoked ham filling is rolled in blanched cabbage leaves and braised in a paprika-spiked tomato sauce in a comforting dish from Hungarian home cook Edit Szabo Gezane. This recipe first appeared in our October 2013 issue with the article Rhapsody in Red.

Ingredients

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 large head cabbage, cored
3 tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. smoked ham steak, cut into 1/4" pieces
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, minced
5 ¹⁄₂ cups chicken stock
1 ¹⁄₃ cups fine yellow cornmeal
¹⁄₂ tbsp. Hungarian hot paprika
¹⁄₂ tbsp. Hungarian sweet paprika, plus more for garnish
1 tsp. roughly chopped parsley, for garnish
1 Italian frying pepper, thinly sliced into rings and seeded, for garnish
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
Sour cream, for serving

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Instructions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add head of cabbage and cook, pulling off each outer leaf with tongs as it becomes tender, 2–4 minutes per leaf. Transfer cabbage leaves to a baking sheet; set aside and continue boiling cabbage until you have 12–15 leaves. Cut and discard thick ribs from leaves. Thinly slice remaining cabbage core; set aside.

Step 2

Heat oil in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ham; cook until lightly browned, 3–4 minutes. Add garlic and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5–7 minutes. Add 2 1⁄2 cups stock; bring to a boil. Whisk in cornmeal and the hot paprika, plus salt and pepper; set filling aside.

Step 3

Working with one cabbage leaf at a time, lay leaf flat on a work surface with what was the stem end facing you. Place 1⁄4 cup filling in the center of leaf. Fold top of leaf over filling. Fold in half crosswise, completely encasing the filling at the top; roll cabbage into a tight cone shape.

Step 4

Place sliced cabbage in the bottom of an 8-qt. saucepan. Arrange stuffed cabbage leaves, overlapping slightly, over top. Sprinkle with sweet paprika, salt, and pepper. Whisk tomato paste and remaining stock in a bowl; pour over cabbage. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, partially covered, until tender, about 45 minutes. Transfer stuffed cabbage to a serving platter. Strain sauce, discarding sliced cabbage; spoon sauce over the top. Garnish with parsley, sliced pepper, and sour cream; sprinkle with more sweet paprika.