Chou Farçi (Stuffed Cabbage)

 The following recipe is for Chou Farçi (Stuffed Cabbage), adapted from the French recipe featured in the book French Country Cooking by Mimi Thorisson. It involves assembling the ingredients in a dish to create a “cake” or a moulded presentation rather than individual rolls. 

Ingredients

For the Cabbage:

1 head Savoy cabbage

Unsalted butter for greasing the pan

For the filling:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, finely diced
2/3 pound ground beef
2/3 pound high-quality pork sausage
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp allspice (or Rabelais spice)
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup whole tomatoes, crushed with juice

1 large egg 

Instructions

1. Prepare the Cabbage Leaves: Boil salted water, core the cabbage, and carefully separate and cook the leaves for about 8 minutes until tender. Drain and cool.
2. Assemble the Mould: Generously butter a 7-inch soufflé dish or charlotte mould. Line the dish with cabbage leaves, overlapping along the sides, reserving some for layering and the top.
3. Prepare the Filling: Heat olive oil in a pan and cook the onion and carrots until soft. Add ground beef and pork sausage and cook until no longer pink. Stir in garlic, thyme, bay leaf, allspice, salt, and pepper. Add crushed tomatoes and juice and simmer briefly. Let cool, discard thyme and bay leaf, and stir in the egg.
4. Layer the Cabbage and Filling: Place about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture in the dish, then top with a cabbage leaf. Repeat until all the meat is used and the dish is full.
5. Finish and Bake: Cover with a final cabbage leaf, tucking it in to seal. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40 minutes.
6. Serve: Invert a plate over the dish, flip, and carefully remove the mould. Serve immediately, cut into wedges. 

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Images: Instagram

Chou farci d’Auvergne (stuffed cabbage)

 

A classic rustic, hearty and well-loved French dish.

Chou farci, which means “stuffed cabbage” in French

Ingredients

• 2 large Savoy cabbage leaves
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 leek, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 100 g mushrooms, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 100 g speck*, finely diced
• 1 tbsp finely chopped sage
• 2 slices of bread
• 310 ml (1¼ cups) chicken stock
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 2 eggs
• 500 g pork mince
• *Authentic Speck, a smoked and cured Italian ham

Instructions

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add the cabbage leaves and blanch for 5 minutes or until just tender. Remove the cabbage leaves and place them in iced water. Once fully chilled, drain and pat dry with a paper towel or a kitchen cloth.
2. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
3. Place a saucepan over high heat and when hot, add the oil, vegetables, garlic, speck and sage and cook, stirring regularly until just softened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Tear the bread into a bowl, pour over 60 ml (¼ cup) of chicken stock, then add the brandy and eggs and stir to combine well. Add the pork mince and mix well to combine. Add the vegetables and mix until well combined.
5. Line a 15 cm bowl with plastic wrap. Place the 2 cabbage leaves into the mould so they overlap and fill it. Fill the cabbage leaves with the pork farce, then fold them over to seal.
6. Place the remaining stock in a wide heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, remove the cabbage parcel carefully from the plastic-lined bowl and add the parcel, seam side down, to the saucepan. Place the lid on the pan, transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 25 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; 

If using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. 

 

We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 

1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 

1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 

1 cup equals 250 ml. 

All herbs are fresh (unless specified), and cups are lightly packed. All vegetables are medium-sized and peeled, unless specified. 

All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

OR: Vegan Chou Farci (Cabbage Stuffed with Barley and Lentils)