Cabbage rolls

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  Recipe from – Wonderful Sweden - a culinary journey through Sweden

• Cabbage rolls are related to the Turkish dolmasi, but they may not have come back with Swedish soldiers who had been in Turkey with Sweden's King Karl XII. It is thought that they were introduced by Turks who settled in Stockholm in the beginning of the 18th century to demand repayment of money lent to King Karl XII during his forced stay in the Ottoman Empire after the battle of Poltava in 1709.

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  "Kåldolmar" - cabbage rolls the Swedish way. Photography: Bruno Ehrs

• Cabbage rolls
  Serves 4

• Ingredients:
  1 cup (2 1/2 dl) cream
  1/3 cup (1 dl) milk
  1/3 cup (3/4 dl) breadcrumbs
  1 cabbage
  Salt
  1 onion
  5 tablespoons (75 g) butter
  2 boiled potatoes
  1¼ pounds (500 g) ground beef and pork
  2 eggs
  1 tablespoon light sugar syrup or corn syrup
  3 tablespoons beef stock
  1 tablespoon brown sugar
  Salt and pepper

• Instruction:
  1. Combine the cream, milk and breadcrumbs.
  2. Remove the central core of the cabbage. Heat salted water (½ tablespoon salt per quart/liter water) to boiling, add the cabbage. Make sure the water covers the cabbage completely. Let simmer for around 20 minutes.
  3. Remove the cabbage from the water and loosen the leaves. Remove the thick middle stalk.
  4. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°F).
  5. Peel and chop the onion and remaining small bits of cabbage. Brown in butter in a frying pan. Mash the potatoes and add to the onion mixture. Place the meat in a bowl, add the onion mixture and the cream-breadcrumb mixture, along with the syrup, stock and brown sugar. Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper.
  6. Arrange individual cabbage leaves on a board. Place a spoonful of meat mixture in the center of each, fold the sides over the meat and then roll up.
  7. Place seam side down in an ovenproof dish and bake in the center of the oven for around 25 minutes.
  8. Serve with boiled potatoes and natural juices flavored with red wine.

• Recipes: KG Wallberg
  Photography: Bruno Ehrs
  This recipe is from the recipe book “Wonderful Sweden” – a culinary journey through Sweden, from Skåne in the south to Lappland, covering provincial specialties, points of interest and traditions. We have a small amount of the book for sale at a discount for subscribers; call 1.800.827.9333 extension 10 to order or see Wonderful Sweden - The Glorious Landscape and Delicious Cuisine