Stuffed Cabbage with Rice & Pine Nuts Avgolemono
Submitted by panoramix
Greek vegetarian cabbage rolls filled with rice, pine nuts, currants, and fresh herbs, finished with a silky egg-lemon avgolemono sauce. A Mediterranean showstopper.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
60 minCOOK
60 minREADY
120 minThis is Greek comfort food at its finest.
Cabbage leaves wrapped around a fragrant filling of rice, toasted pine nuts, sweet currants, and handfuls of fresh dill and parsley. The whole thing simmers for an hour, then gets draped in a velvety avgolemono sauce that’s equal parts tangy and luxurious.
It’s vegetarian, it feeds a crowd, and it tastes like something your yiayia would be proud of.
Kitchen Tips
- The avgolemono sauce is all about patience. Add the hot cooking liquid drop by drop while whisking constantly to temper the eggs without scrambling them.
- Cook the sauce over hot water (a double boiler), never direct heat. This gives you control and prevents curdling.
- Use clarified butter (or ghee) for sautéing the onions. It adds richness without burning.
- Let the filling cool completely before stuffing. Warm filling will tear the cabbage leaves.
Variations
- Swap currants for dried cranberries for a tart twist.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon to the rice filling for a warmer, more traditional Greek flavor.
- Stir in crumbled feta after the filling cools for a salty, creamy contrast.
Ingredients
Directions
Plunge cabbages into boiling salted water and cook about 8 minutes, then drain thoroughly and set aside while you prepare the filling.
In a heavy skillet heat the clarified butter, add the chopped onions and cook until soft and transparent.
Add the water and bring to a boil, then add the rice and stir.
Lower the heat and simmer gently until the rice has absorbed the liquid, approximately 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and add the raisins or currants, pine nuts, parsley, dill and season with salt and pepper.
Cool.
Separate 2 of the eggs and mix the egg whites into filling.
Reserve the yolks for the avgolemono.
Stuff and roll the cabbage leaves, using one heaping tablespoon filling, roll up snugly, then place, seam side down, in a casserole.
Dot with butter and add water to cover, then cover cabbage rolls with an inverted plate and cover casserole.
Simmer for approximately 1 hour, then transfer to a warm serving dish and keep warm.
Strain the remaining liquid for the avgolemono sauce.
Beat the remaining eggs and yolks for 2 minutes.
Continuing to beat, gradually add the lemon juice.
Then add the 1½ cups cooking liquid by droplets, beating steadily, until all has been added.
Cook over hot water, not boiling, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.
Pour over the cabbage rolls and serve hot.
Comments
