Mini Cabbage Wraps

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 1/4 lbs mixed ground lamb or 1 1/4 lbs ground veal or 1 1/4 lbs ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumb
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons salt
• additional salt, for potato
• 1/2 teaspoon freshlly ground pepper
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1-1/2 lbs.)
• 8 -10 large savoy cabbage leaves, rinsed
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons olive oil or 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small celery rib, coarsely chopped
• 1 small carrot, peeled, coarsely cjopped
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 medium mushrooms, rinsed, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 (14 ounce) can italian plum tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Recipe

• 1 crumble meat into bowl. sprinkle with onion, bread crumbs, 4 t. parsley, 2 t. salt, and 1/2 t. pepper. beat eggs and tomato paste until blended; pour over meat and mix gently just until blended.
• 2 shape meat mixture into eight 3x2-inch loaves. place loaves 3 inches apart in large baking pan; refrigerate covered with plastic wrap.
• 3 heat large pot of salted water to boiling. add potatoes and boil until tender, 15-20 minutes. remove with slotted spoon and pat dry.
• 4 cut off bottom of thick center rib of each cabbage leaf. add leaves to boiling water. stir gently to separate leaves, and blanch until bright green and softened, 2-3 minutes. remove with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.
• 5 heat oven to 350 degrees.
• 6 place milk, butter, remaining parsley, and nutmeg in large bowl. mash potatoes until smooth. add to milk mixture; stir until blended. spread potato mixture evenly over tops and sides of loaves. wrap each loaf in a cabbage leaf, enclosing it completely. brush loaves lightly with oil.
• 7 cover baking pan with aluminum foil and bake loaves 30 minutes. remove foil and bake, basting loaves with pan juices, until cabbage is lightly browned, about 20 minutes more.
• 8 while loaves are baking, make sauce: heat olive or vegetable oil in heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. add celery, carrot, onion, and mushrooms; saute until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. stir in garlic and thyme. saute 1 minute. reduce heat to low. stir in tomatoes with liquid. simmer uncovered until thickened, 10-15 minutes. puree in blender or food processor until almost smooth. season with remaining salt and pepper. (sauce can be store in refrigerator up to 1 week or in freezer up to 3 months. makes 2 cups of sauce.).
• 9 remove baked loaves with slotted spatula to serving plates. serve with sauce.