CookEat Recipe
Whole Cabbage Stuffed with Braised Veal
A whole cabbage filled with finely chopped braised veal, balsamella, Parmesan and egg yolk, then cooked gently in the veal juices.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 1 large Savoy or white cabbage, about 1.5 kg; 500 g lean boneless veal in one braising piece; 50 g pancetta, diced; 50 g butter: 30 g for the veal, 10 g for balsamella and 10 g for the cabbage; 1/4 large onion, roughly chopped; 1 small carrot, roughly chopped; 2 short pieces celery; 4 g plain flour: about 2 g for the braise and 2 g for balsamella; 150 ml plain tomato sauce; 100 ml whole milk; 10 g grated Parmesan; 1 egg yolk; A small pinch grated nutmeg; Salt and black pepper; Water as needed for the veal and for boiling the cabbage.
Step 2
For the braised veal, put the veal, diced pancetta, onion, carrot, celery and 30 g butter in a heavy pan together. Season with salt and pepper and brown over moderate heat for about 15–20 minutes, turning the veal. Sprinkle with 2 g flour, stir briefly without scorching, then add the tomato sauce and a little water. Cover partly and simmer gently for about 1 1/2–2 hours until very tender and at least 74°C, adding water gradually so there are enough juices for the cabbage.
Step 3
Lift out the veal and strain the cooking juices, discarding tough solids. Aim for about 400 ml strained jus, adding a little water if needed. Keep the jus hot. Finely chop all the cooked veal; use the meat alone for the main filling. Let it cool only until lukewarm while preparing the cabbage and sauce.
Step 4
Remove the tough outer cabbage leaves, trim the base without separating the head, and simmer the whole head in lightly salted water for about 12–15 minutes, until the outer leaves are flexible but the head is only partly cooked. Drain upside down. When safe to handle, carefully open the leaves one by one towards the small central heart, keeping them attached.
Step 5
For the balsamella, melt 10 g butter, stir in the remaining 2 g flour and cook just until lightly coloured. Gradually stir in the 100 ml milk and simmer for at least 5 minutes until creamy. Let it become lukewarm, then mix with the finely chopped veal, Parmesan, egg yolk and nutmeg. Do not taste the filling after adding the raw yolk.
Step 6
Spread the filling over and around the small central heart, drawing each layer of leaves back over it to re-form the whole cabbage. Tie securely in two crossing directions with food-safe kitchen string. Put in a snug ovenproof casserole with the strained veal jus and the remaining 10 g butter. Cover and cook at 170°C for about 50–70 minutes, basting occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and the centre of the filling reaches 74°C. Add hot water if the jus threatens to dry out.
Step 7
Rest for about 10 minutes, remove all string, then cut into wedges and serve with the cooking juices. For individual rolls, separate the large partly boiled leaves, divide the same filling between them, fold the sides in and roll closed. Place seam-side down in the jus, cover and bake at 170°C for about 30–40 minutes until tender and 74°C in the filling.
Step 8
For the bread-bound filling, omit the 100 ml milk, 10 g balsamella butter and 2 g balsamella flour. Instead soak about 20 g soft bread in 30 ml broth or veal jus and mash it into the chopped meat; keep the Parmesan, yolk and nutmeg and finish as above.
Step 9
For the optional liver-and-sweetbread mixture, replace about 150 g of the cooked veal with about 75 g cooked chicken liver and 75 g cooked veal sweetbread. Start with about 100 g fresh chicken livers, trim them and simmer in a little broth until 74°C throughout, about 8–12 minutes. For about 100 g professionally prepared veal sweetbread, blanch for 5 minutes, drain, remove membrane and gristle, then simmer in fresh broth for about 10–15 minutes until 74°C throughout. Finely chop the cooked offal, weigh the needed cooked amounts and mix with the remaining veal. Continue immediately through filling and final cooking; keep any unused cooked meat refrigerated promptly.
Cooked it? Rate it.
Cooked 0 times