Spiced cabbage rolls with pork, porcini, lentils and rice

Name: Spiced cabbage rolls with pork, porcini, lentils and rice
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 10 rolls
Ingredients: 1 large white cabbage; 220g long-grain rice; 100g puy lentils; 100ml extra virgin olive oil; 1 large brown onion, finely diced; 6 cloves garlic, finely sliced; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 2 tsp coriander seeds, ground (or ground coriander); 2 tsp allspice berries, ground; 1 tsp dried chilli flakes; 20g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 200ml boiling water for 20 minutes or 30 minutes, then drained (keep the water) and finely chopped; 2 lemons, juiced; Salt flakes; 6 pork and fennel sausages; 2 tins (420g each) chopped tomatoes; 1 vegetable stock cube; 3 fresh bay leaves; Thick plain yoghurt, to serve

Karen Martini

April 17, 2013

Time:30 mins - 1 hourMakes:10 rolls

This is one of those recipes almost worth making for the leftovers alone. It's delicious straight from the oven, but over a day or two the flavours mesh and intensify.

Ingredients

1 large white cabbage
220g long-grain rice
100g puy lentils
100ml extra virgin olive oil
1 large brown onion, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp coriander seeds, ground (or ground coriander)
2 tsp allspice berries, ground
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
20g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 200ml boiling water for 20 minutes or 30 minutes, then drained (keep the water) and finely chopped
2 lemons, juiced
Salt flakes
6 pork and fennel sausages
2 tins (420g each) chopped tomatoes
1 vegetable stock cube
3 fresh bay leaves
Thick plain yoghurt, to serve

Method

1. Peel off 10 or so whole cabbage leaves and blanch in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Lift on to a clean tea towel to drain.
2. Boil the rice and lentils for 6 minutes together, then drain.
3. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees fan-forced, 190 degrees conventional.
4. In a large frying pan over medium heat, add the oil, onion, garlic, spices and chilli and cook for a few minutes. Next add the porcini, lentils and rice. Stir, then add the lemon juice and 200ml of the porcini water. Cook over high heat until the liquid is absorbed. Season and cool a little.
5. Remove the sausage meat from the casings and crumble into the rice mix; combine.
6. Bring 1 1/2 litres of water to the boil in a medium pot with the tomatoes and stock cube. Turn off the heat. Season lightly.
7. Spoon about three heaped tablespoons of filling into the base of each drained leaf, fold in the sides and roll tightly. Place each roll in a rectangular ovenproof dish. Repeat until the mix is gone.
8. Pour the tomato liquid over the top - you might not need it all if the rolls fit snugly. Tuck the bay leaves between the rolls, then cover tightly with a layer of baking paper and a layer of foil. Bake for an hour. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving with a dollop of yoghurt.
Tip: Choose a cabbage with loosely packed leaves, as they will be easier to peel off without breaking. If you're still finding this hard, remove the core and immerse the whole cabbage in boiling water for a minute or two, remove and peel off the first few leaves and repeat.