Holishkes

Preparation Time: 35 minutes Cooking Time: 2 hours Serves: 6 people

Cabbage is not the most popular of vegetables. I think that its unfortunate connection with school dinners and over-boiling is a great pity, because if it’s cooked carefully it can be both versatile and delicious. I use it, braised, boiled, stir- fried, raw and stuffed!

Stuffed food is tradition at Succot and Holishkes – stuffed cabbage in a savoury sauce - is part of this tradition. I have added a contemporary twist – chopped apricots – to contrast with the sweet and sour sauce.

Chefs Tip: The cabbage leaves have two different sides ~ keep the outside of the leaf on the outside of the holishkes for a more stylish look. The sauce is also very versatile. Put all the ingredients in a pan, simmer for 15 minutes and use with meat balls, or white fish. It freezes well.

Ingredients

1 kg/ 2 1/4 pound lean minced lamb/ beef
100g/4 oz/ 1/ 2 cup long grain rice
130g/4 1 /2 oz/ 1 /2 cup dried apricots – finely chopped
2 onions – peeled and finely chopped
5 cloves of garlic – peeled and finely chopped
3 tablespoons water
2 eggs – lightly beaten
1 -2 large Savoy green or white cabbage – cored
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Sauce

2 x 400g /14 oz tins of chopped tomatoes
2 onions- peeled and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons brown /Demerara sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon tomato ketchup
250ml/ 8 fl oz/1 cup red wine
Pinch of cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful of raisins – optional

Garnish:
100g/4 oz / 1 /2 cup Pine nuts – toasted

Method

1) Put the beef/lamb, rice, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, chopped onions, apricots and garlic in a bowl. For a smoother mixture, place in the food processor and pulse briefly. Beat the eggs with the water and combine with the meat mixture. Chill.
2) Blanch 16 large whole cabbage leaves by plunging into boiling water for 2 minutes.
3) Refresh with cold water in a colander.
4) Carefully remove any hard stalks with a sharp knife.
5) Pre-heat the oven to 150 C/300 F/ Gas mark 2.
6) Shape the beef mixture into ovals, the size of a large egg. Wrap each in one or two cabbage leaves folding and over lapping the leaves so that the mixture is completely enclosed in a tight parcel.
7) Lay the cabbage parcels in the base of an ovenproof dish. Mix all the sauce ingredients together and pour over the top
8) Cover and bake for 2 hours.

To serve the stylish way:
Transfer the parcels onto a serving dish and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts

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For further information please contact:

Denise's Kitchen
Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2HD

Telephone - +44 (0)1923 836456, Fax - +44 (0)1923 826180
E-Mail - denise@jewishcookery.com