Stuffed cabbage leaves.

Eight delicious, rich and nourishing recipes from Ukraine and beyond | Life and style | The Guardian
Olia Hercules. Her favourite childhood dishes.
BurySpy.com - BookSpy reviews: Mamushka by Olia Hercules
Stuffed cabbage leaves /cabbage roll /baked cabbage parcels.
Traditionally, we use firm white cabbage leaves here, so if you want more of a traditional taste, please use those instead of the Savoy.
They may need to be blanched for three minutes instead of two.
My grandmother used to make a version without tomatoes and using whole sauerkraut leaves and pork belly.
The combination of sharp cabbage and luscious pork is incredible.
I add barberries to my holubtsi to achieve that sour note, but you don’t have to if they are hard to find.

Serves 6 (makes 12 parcels)
sunflower oil 2 tbsp
onion 1 large, finely diced
carrot 1, peeled and grated
caster sugar 1 tsp
tomato purée 1 tbsp
fresh bay leaf 1
chopped tomatoes 400g tin
water 400ml
Savoy cabbage 1, 12 leaves, separated
minced beef and minced pork 250g each
white long-grain rice 160g, parboiled for 5 minutes and drained
barberries 40g (optional)

To serve
dill ½ small bunch, finely chopped
soured cream 100ml
sourdough bread

Make the sauce first.
Heat the sunflower oil in a heavy-based flameproof casserole dish.
Fry half the onion and all the grated carrot over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes until soft.
Add the sugar and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.
Add the bay leaf, tomatoes and the 400ml water.
Season well with salt and pepper.

Blanch the cabbage leaves for 2 minutes, then refresh them in cold water and drain well on kitchen paper.

Mix the minced meats, rice, the barberries, if using, some salt and pepper and the remaining diced onion in a bowl.
Place 50g of the filling on to each cabbage leaf and fold up into parcels.

Place the parcels on top of the sauce, folded side down, tucking them next to each other snugly so they don’t unravel.
Cook over a low heat for about 45 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with the chopped dill, a dollop of soured cream on the side and sourdough bread.