Savoy cabbage parcels – Kaldolmar
When Swedish King Charles XII returned to Sweden in 1715 after spending five years in the Ottoman Empire, his aides are said to have brought back this dish, what has now become a Swedish classic. Vine leaves were very expensive in Sweden, and the first printed Kaldolmar recipe states that it is acceptable to substitute with boiled cabbage leaves. Over the years, the dish has been further Scandi-fied with the use of pork or beef – and it is served with a good dollop of Stirred Lingonberries (recipe here) and a rich potato mash.
Servings 20
Equipment
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string or cocktail sticks/toothpicks
Ingredients
- 1 large head of Savoy cabbage (or white cabbage) – you may need two heads, if small
- vegetable oil for frying
MEAT MIXTURE
- 250 grams minced/ground pork
- 250 grams minced/ground beef
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- 50 grams dried breadcrumbs – can be bought here
- 150 grams milk
- 1 medium potato cooked
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice – can be bought here
- ½ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
SAUCE
- knob/pat of butter
- 50 grams cubed bacon
- 100 grams celeriac
- 1 carrot
- 500 ml meat stock (chicken works well)
Instructions
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To make the meat mixture, add the pork, beef and salt to a stand mixer and mix well. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for a few minutes. Mash the cooked potato with a fork and add to the milk and mix. Add to the meat along with the other ingredients and mix well. Transfer to a bowl and cover. Allow to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using.
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Cut the main bit of stalk out of the base of the cabbage and try to separate the leaves slightly without breaking them.
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Steam or boil the cabbage until the leaves are soft – this can take anything from 5–10 minutes. Carefully separate the leaves out – you need roughly 20 good-sized unbroken leaves.
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Place approximately 60–65 g/2 oz. meat in each leaf and wrap it up like a parcel. Secure with string or a cocktail stick/toothpick. You may need to cut away the bottom bit of hard stalk before wrapping the meat up.
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Preheat then oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.
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Heat the butter in a frying pan/skillet and cook the bacon. Chop the celeriac and carrot into small cubes and cook for a few minutes until soft. Remove from pan/skillet and set aside.
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Heat a few tablespoons of oil in the pan/skillet and fry the cabbage parcels on each side for a minute. Arrange the parcels in an ovenproof dish and scatter over the vegetables and three-quarters of the meat stock. Brush the parcels with a bit of melted butter.
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Cook in the preheated oven for 30–40 minutes or until cooked through. Continue to baste the parcels as you cook to prevent them going dry. Add more stock if needed.
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Serve with mashed potatoes and Stirred Lingonberries (recipe here). Use the stock as a sauce (season to taste before serving).
Notes
From the book The ScandiKitchen Cookbook by Bronte Aurell, photo by Pete Cassidy. Book Available on Amazon or ScandiKitchen.
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