Oven-Braised Holubtsi with Smoked Bacon

Method

1. Cut out the cabbage core deeply, lower the whole head into a 5 L pot of boiling water and blanch on high heat for 10 min, peeling off the leaves one by one as they soften. You need 3 large leaves per serving. Once cool, shave the thick rib on the back of each leaf thin.

   Add in this stepWhite cabbage (one loose-leaved head) 800 g

   high heat

2. In a small pan, simmer the rinsed rice with a portion of the stock (about a fifth) on medium-low heat for 8 min, until the stock is almost absorbed but the rice is still firm in the centre. Spread it out to cool. Rice cooked in stock gives the filling more savour.

   Add in this stepShort-grain rice 50 gChicken stock 120 ml

   medium-low heat

3. Melt the butter in a 22 cm pan over medium heat and slowly cook the finely chopped onion, coarsely grated carrot and minced garlic for 9 min, until sweet and lightly browned. Divide in half.

   Add in this stepButter 20 gOnion 1Carrot 1Garlic cloves 2

   medium heat

4. In a bowl, knead the pork, beef, cooled rice, half the onion and carrot, the smoked paprika, most of the salt (about three-fifths), the pepper and half the chopped dill for 2 minutes until sticky. Roll 3 tight rolls per serving (fold the bottom over, tuck in the sides, roll up).

   Add in this stepMinced pork 120 gMinced beef 100 gSmoked paprika ½ tspSalt ½ tspGround black pepper ¼ tspFresh dill 3 g

5. Heat the oil in a 24 cm pan over medium-high heat and lay the rolls in seam side down. Sear for 3 min per side until golden, in batches if the pan is crowded. This adds a toasty cabbage flavour and sets the rolls so they don't unroll.

   Add in this stepSunflower oil 1 tbsp

   medium-high heat

6. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line the bottom of a baking dish that holds the rolls snugly in one layer with the bacon and set the seared rolls on top. Mix the rest of the onion and carrot with the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, half the sour cream, the rest of the stock and the rest of the salt, pour it over and tuck in the bay leaf. Cover with foil and bake for 50 min, then uncover and bake for 15 min more, until the top has reduced and caught a little colour.

   Add in this stepSmoked streaky bacon 60 gTomatoes (canned whole or ripe fresh) 200 gTomato paste 1 tbspSour cream 50 gChicken stock 480 mlSalt ¼ tspBay leaf 1

   oven

7. Let it rest for 10 minutes so the sauce settles. Serve with the remaining sour cream and the rest of the dill scattered over.

   Add in this stepSour cream 50 gFresh dill 3 g