Hélène Laurendeau’s Stuffed Cabbage

Instructions

1. 1

   With a knife, pare down the central stem at the base of each cabbage leaf.

2. 2

   In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch the cabbage leaves until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Plunge into ice water and drain. Set aside.

3. 3

   With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).

4. 4

   In a large skillet, brown the onion and bacon in the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Allow to cool in a large bowl. Add the meat, rice, salt, mustard, thyme and 500 ml (2 cups) of tomato sauce. Season with pepper. Blend well with a wooden spoon or your hands. Set aside.

5. 5

   Spread the remaining tomato sauce and broth in the bottom of a 33 x 23-cm (13 x 9-inch) baking dish. Set aside.

6. 6

   Take a bit of stuffing and shape into a cigar shape. Place in the centre of a cabbage leaf, fold the sides toward the centre and roll. Put the cigars side by side in the baking dish. Add a slice of bacon on each roll. Cover with foil and bake for 1h30 to 2 hours until the cabbage becomes fork tender.