There are many hearty and comfortable meals in Polish food, but golabki (stuffed cabbage rolls) is without a question one of its best. In this classic dish, soft cabbage leaves are cooked with a tasty meat and rice filling in a rich tomato sauce. Golabki is a great dish to eat when you want to feel nostalgic or just want something warm.
Things Used in Polish Golabki Recipe:
14 pieces of cabbage
700g of ground pork (shoulder, ham, or pork neck)
100g of rice
2 onions
1.5 liters of stock or broth
600 g passata tomato
1 tablespoon of flour
Spices: pepper, salt, oregano (1 teaspoon dried), paprika (1/2 teaspoon), and thyme (1/2 teaspoon).
Alternatively: 4 teaspoons of thick cream (18%)
Getting Ready:
Put the cooked rice and ground meat in a big bowl. After you peel and chop the onions, mix them in with the meat. Add pepper (1/4 teaspoon) and salt (about half a teaspoon). Thoroughly mix everything together, then form it into small, long cakes.
Cut out the stem of the cabbage to make a core. Boil the cabbage in a big pot. Put the cut side down in the water and cook for 10 minutes over low heat. After 5 minutes, turn the cabbage over and cook for another 5 minutes. Take the cabbage out of the water, let it cool down, and then carefully peel off the leaves. Cut out any thick lines on each leaf, and then put some of the meat mixture on each one.
Roll the cabbage leaves up like burritos: fold one end of the leaf over the meat, fold in the sides, and roll the leaf up tight around the filling. The cabbage might not all be used up.
Put some cabbage leaves (some of which may be torn) around the bottom of a big, wide pot. Put the golabki on top, seam side down. In a different pot, bring the soup to a boil. Then, pour it over the golabki. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and cook for 45 to 60 minutes, until the cabbage is soft. While the golabki is cooking, don’t stir it. If you need to, you can gently shake the pot.
Move the liquid from the cooking to a different pot. Add the flour that has been mixed with a few tablespoons of cold water. Add salt, pepper, dried oregano, thyme, and paprika, and then bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
When adding cream to the sauce, do it slowly by adding a spoonful at a time and stirring the whole time. Pour the sauce over the polish golabki recipe and let it cook for a few minutes over low heat. Every so often, shake the pot to make sure the sauce is spread out evenly.
This Polish Golabki recipe is calming and tasty. Enjoy it with your family and friends, and enjoy the taste of history with every bite.