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I can’t even believe Thanksgiving is just 3 days away. It really snuck up on me this year. To get my act together, I sat down with my “sous chef” this past Saturday evening and devised a Thanksgiving plan over a bottle of wine. Here’s what we came up with:
Sunday: Food shopping and organization
Monday: Soup, appetizers and sorbet
Tuesday: Desserts and cocktail elements
Wednesday: Sides
Thursday: Turkey, more sides and finishing touches
Now you may be thinking, “4 days of cooking Brandon? Really? Ya crazy.” My rebuttal? Yes! 4 days of cooking 🙂 Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays throughout the year and I just love taking the time to make sure everything is perfect. I could probably complete all dishes in a shorter time period; however the plan outlined above will ensure that I get everything done without having to rush or stress about anything.
Over these next several days, I will be posting frequent Thanksgiving preparation updates on Twitter. You can follow along here: #KKTday2011 Come say hi :)! And now on to this a. mazing recipe for Stuffed Savoy Cabbage with Rosemary Brown Butter.
Textural leaves of savoy cabbage are blanched then stuffed with sautéed bacon, garlic and shredded greenery. Finished with a drizzle of aromatic rosemary brown butter and a dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano, these stuffed cabbage rolls are unbelievable. The whole is definitely greater than the sum of it’s parts. I would highly recommend adding this side dish to your Thanksgiving spread this year.
Stuffed Savoy Cabbage with Rosemary Brown Butter
Ingredients
- 2 heads savoy cabbage (about 1 1/4 pounds each)
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4 inch strips
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups bread crumbs, preferably freshly made
- 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 4 tablespoons 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- Leaves from 2 small rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Carefully peel 6 outer leaves off each head of cabbage and set aside (you'll have 12 leaves total). If you are having difficulty peeling the leaves, trim off part the root end and peel from the bottom. Cut the remaining cabbage into quarters then core and shred.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. While you are waiting for the water to boil, prepare an ice bath (fill a large bowl with ice and cold water). Once the water is boiling, add a few large pinches of salt. Add 6 of the outer cabbage leaves to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, then transfer to the ice bath. Repeat with the remaining 6 outer cabbage leaves. Once cooled, transfer the cabbage leaves to a paper towel-lined baking sheet (you will probably need 2).
- Preheat an oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
- In a large, heavy bottomed pot, warm extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon strips and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crispy. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the shredded cabbage, tossing to coat in the oil (I used my tongs here). Cook the cabbage until tender and wilted, stirring occasionally (7 - 8 minutes). Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper then let cool slightly.
- To a large bowl add eggs, bread crumbs, 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and the cabbage mixture, stirring to combine.
- Lay the outer cabbage leaves out on a work surface with the inside facing up. Spoon the filling evenly on to the center of each leaf. Roll up each leaf similar to rolling a burrito (fold up the bottom up, then fold in the sides, then roll into a tight cylinder). Place each role, seam side down, into the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil then bake for 30 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, start preparing the sauce. In a small skillet, warm butter over medium low heat. Cook until the butter starts to brown (5 - 7 minutes). You will know the butter is done when it gives off a nutty aroma and you see small brown flecks swimming around. Take the skillet off of the heat and add the rosemary leaves.
- Take the baking dish from the oven and uncover. Sprinkle the stuffed cabbage with the remaining 3/4 cup cheese then drizzle with rosemary brown butter.
I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!
Jessica @ How Sweet says
I am in love with this idea. It sound incredible!
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
You’re a cabbage rolling master…my leaves tend to tear and look less than pretty when I’m done with them 🙂
Eliot says
Anything with bacon is a winner. Good luck on your four-day prep! (Which is now only one day away!) Here’s to a perfect meal and a blessed Thanksgiving.
Kim Bee says
This is incredible. I love the pictures. I do a 5 day things at Christmas. My daughter has her birthday close to it so we do our own thing, family thing, her friend’s thing, xmas eve then xmas day. If I’m not in a coma sometimes I’ll do boxing day too. So I can appreciate your love of celebrating.
Matt Jackson @ TheJBKitchen.com says
These remind me of something my Hungarian grandmother used to make, but hers were smothered in a delicious tomato sauce. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try, it looks delicious. Thanks for the idea!
Dan says
This is spectacular! What a great idea to stuff the cabbage WITH itself. I transferred about half the bacon drippings to a jar for later use to allow a bit more of the cabbagey sweetness to come through. Thanks.
Brandon Matzek says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Dan!
Jean says
Absolutely awful, took longer to cook than stated, outer leaves still bitter and tough. The inside was mush and we couldn’t taste the cheese which was over powered by the egg. A definite never again from us
Brandon Matzek says
Hi Jean, so sorry this didn’t work out for you. I’ve made this recipe about 10 times and I’ve never had an issue.
Perhaps you needed to blanch the savoy cabbage longer? That takes away the bitterness. I’ve also found savoy cabbage to be on the less bitter side – did you use savoy? The inside should have a soft, mushy texture, and I’ve always found the cheese and bacon flavors to be on the forefront.
Cooking times can vary based on your oven or equipment used. Let me know if I can answer any specific questions! I’m always happy to help.
Edward Szczerba says
Jean,Apparently you have very little skills when it comes to mastering the skills needed to ramp up a simple side dish such as savoy cabbage. There are a multitude of herbs,spices and butter compounds/oils that can be used to enhance the flavor of this delicious side. Try using the internet for cabbage recipes or ask a friend. Real chefs think outside of the box, not everything is by the book.