Laxanodolmades: Greek Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Laxanodolmades are cabbage leaves filled with minced meat, rice and fresh herbs, simmered until soft and finished with a creamy egg-lemon sauce. In Greece it is a typical winter dish, made when cabbage is at its best.

Serves: 6 | Prep: 40 min | Cook: 60 min

Ingredients

• 1 large white cabbage
• 500 g mixed minced meat
• 100 g short-grain rice
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch dill, chopped
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• About 600 ml hot water or stock
• 2 eggs
• Juice of 2 lemons

Method

1. Cut the hard core from the cabbage and boil the cabbage for 5 minutes in plenty of water. Peel off the leaves one by one and shave down the thick rib.
2. Mix the meat, rice, onion, olive oil, dill, parsley, salt and pepper.
3. Put a tablespoon of filling on each leaf, fold in the sides and roll up tightly.
4. Line a pan with small leaves and pack the rolls in tightly. Add the hot water until they are just covered, put a plate on top and simmer for 50 to 60 minutes.
5. Beat the eggs until frothy with the lemon juice. Slowly beat in 2 ladles of cooking liquid, then pour the mixture over the rolls. Shake the pan gently and do not boil again.

Tips

• Once the egg-lemon sauce is in, the pan must not boil again, or the sauce curdles.
• No time? Ready-made laxanodolmades exist in tins.

Products from Bakaliko

• Zanae - Laxanodolmades 280 g (ready-made)
• Sellas - Extra Virgin Olive Oil Dorica 500 ml

More Greek recipes

• Greek dolmades (stuffed vine leaves)
• Avgolemono soup with kale and vegetables

Photo: howtomakeitworkforyou.blogspot, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.