Stuffed Cabbage with Tomatoes & Onions

Recipe from: Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel by Alon Shaya

1 gallon plus 1 cup water, divided

2 large heads green cabbage

4 slices white bread

½ cup milk

1 yellow onion

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons Morton kosher salt, divided

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 tablespoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground allspice

⅓ cup Arborio rice

1 ¼ pounds ground beef, preferably 80 percent lean

1 cup lightly packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 sprigs fresh oregano

1 anchovy

½ cup tomato paste

One 28-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

5 or 6 fresh mint leaves, torn

Bring a gallon of water to a boil. Remove and discard the cabbages’ tough or bruised outer leaves, then make an incision all around the cores and gently peel away one leaf at a time, so they stay as intact as possible. If the leaves keep tearing on you, you can place each head of cabbage, core side up, in a large heatproof bowl, and ladle the boiling water over them so they’re completely submerged; top off your pot of boiling water, since you’ll need it again in a bit. Let the cabbage sit for 15 minutes, drain the water, and peel the leaves as directed; stop peeling as you near the center, since the leaves need to be at least 7 or 8 inches long.

Working in batches, cook the cabbage leaves in the boiling water for just I or 2 minutes, until they’re pliable but still have some life in them; if you poured boiling water over the heads of cabbage before peeling, you’ll only need to do this parboiling process with the crisper inner leaves. As they finish cooking, pull them out with tongs or a slotted spoon, and lay them flat on a dish towel to cool while you finish the rest.

To make the filling: Cube the bread into ½-to-1-inch pieces, and toss it with the milk to soak evenly (don’t worry if some of the pieces start to disintegrate). Cut the onion in half; reserve one half for later, and mince the other half. Add it to the filling with ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon salt, paprika, coriander, and allspice.

Rinse the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear; this gets rid of starches that can gum up the filling. Combine it with the rest of the filling.

Add the ground beef and parsley to the bowl, and use your hands or a spatula to fold it all together until it’s evenly combined. Cover in plastic and refrigerate while you make the sauce.

Pull out a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, and add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil over medium heat. Thinly slice the other half of the onion, and add it to the oil with the garlic, whole sprigs of oregano, and anchovy; cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes, until the onion slices are browned on the edges and the anchovy melts. Add the tomato paste, stirring to break it up, and let toast for a couple minutes.

In a large bowl, crush the canned tomatoes between your fingers, and combine them with the last 1 tablespoon salt, pomegranate molasses, and mint. When the tomato paste smells fragrant and caramelized in the pan, stir in the canned-tomato mixture and the last 1 cup water, and bring it all to a simmer.

To stuff the cabbage: Mound about ¼ cup filling right near the base of each leaf. Roll them all like burritos, tucking in the sides as you go, taking care not to tear them.

Add each parcel of stuffed cabbage, seam side down, to the pot with the sauce, using your spoon to push them to the bottom and snuggle them together wherever they’ll fit. You can stack them if necessary. Decrease the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for 75 to 90 minutes. To check for doneness, partially cut into one of the little packets, and taste a piece of the Arborio rice; it should be intact but creamy. If it needs more time, re-cover, cook for 10 minutes, and taste again; repeat for more 10-minute intervals if needed.

Take the pot off the heat, and let the cabbage rest for 30 minutes or so, with the lid still on, to give everything a chance to settle. Discard the sprigs of oregano. Serve the stuffed cabbage warm, taking care not to let the leaves unravel, and spoon some of the remaining sauce over the top.

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