One of my absolute favorite Macedonian specialties is sarma, stuffed cabbage leaves. It's not something that ever sounded appetizing to me, and the first time I was invited over to someone's house to eat it, I was a little nervous. I am not really a sauerkraut girl. Brian is a Yankee of Polish decent so, I knew for certain (from Easter dinners) that I could stomach soured cabbage, but it is certainly not something I craved. The Macedonian version of soured cabbage leaves stuffed with meat is INCREDIBLE! You have to give it a try. It's worth the time and effort-trust me.
Macedonian Sarma
1 large head of brined cabbage (see below)
2 lbs. grounded meat (beef or combination of beef and pork)
1 cup rice
2 medium onions chopped
2 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon of paprika
cooking oil
water, liquid from the brined cabbage or vegetable soup
1 tablespoon chicken boullion
salt and pepper
First saute the onions in oil about 2 minutes. Add the meat and saute until the meat is cooked. Add the rice and cook about 5-10 minutes. Add salt, pepper and boullion. The rice should be half cooked. Take out the leaves from the cabbage and cut the thick parts from the leaf. Add the filling onto the leaf and wrap it while you tuck in the ends of the leaf. Cut the thick parts from the leaves and all the leaves that are left. Into a deep pot, place the cut cabbage leaves then the meat-filled leaves (sarmas), than again cabbage leaves then rolled leaves until all is gone (you should finish with cut leaves) into a deep pot. When you're putting the sarmas try to put them as close to one another as you can so that they won't unwrap. Add the water, liquid from the brined cabbage or vegetable soup until the sarmas are covered. Add little salt and pepper. Now, if you're baking it, close the pot with lid than bake it for 2 hours at 350 C. If you're cooking it onto stove, close the pot with plate and onto the plate place something heavy (at my home we're having a river rock which is used only for that purpose). If you don't do this there's a chance that the sarmas will unwrap when it comes to a boil. Cook it for about 2 hours. After 2 hours take out the pot and remove the lid or the plate. In a pan add about 6 tablespoons oil then fry the flour until golden. Than add the paprika. Add this into the sarmas, than cook it (open pot this time) for about 5 minutes. Try it and you'll see that it's worth the effort.
2 lbs. grounded meat (beef or combination of beef and pork)
1 cup rice
2 medium onions chopped
2 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon of paprika
cooking oil
water, liquid from the brined cabbage or vegetable soup
1 tablespoon chicken boullion
salt and pepper
First saute the onions in oil about 2 minutes. Add the meat and saute until the meat is cooked. Add the rice and cook about 5-10 minutes. Add salt, pepper and boullion. The rice should be half cooked. Take out the leaves from the cabbage and cut the thick parts from the leaf. Add the filling onto the leaf and wrap it while you tuck in the ends of the leaf. Cut the thick parts from the leaves and all the leaves that are left. Into a deep pot, place the cut cabbage leaves then the meat-filled leaves (sarmas), than again cabbage leaves then rolled leaves until all is gone (you should finish with cut leaves) into a deep pot. When you're putting the sarmas try to put them as close to one another as you can so that they won't unwrap. Add the water, liquid from the brined cabbage or vegetable soup until the sarmas are covered. Add little salt and pepper. Now, if you're baking it, close the pot with lid than bake it for 2 hours at 350 C. If you're cooking it onto stove, close the pot with plate and onto the plate place something heavy (at my home we're having a river rock which is used only for that purpose). If you don't do this there's a chance that the sarmas will unwrap when it comes to a boil. Cook it for about 2 hours. After 2 hours take out the pot and remove the lid or the plate. In a pan add about 6 tablespoons oil then fry the flour until golden. Than add the paprika. Add this into the sarmas, than cook it (open pot this time) for about 5 minutes. Try it and you'll see that it's worth the effort.
This recipe was taken from: http://macedonianfood.blogspot.com/2009/01/sarma.html
I am not real sure where you can get a head of brined cabbage in the states, but you can always make your own like this:
Boil a head of cabbage for about 10 minutes in a mixture of water and vinegar. As the leaves soften, gently peel them away, cut them free, and lay them flat. It's important that they not tear, so be gentle.
Boil a head of cabbage for about 10 minutes in a mixture of water and vinegar. As the leaves soften, gently peel them away, cut them free, and lay them flat. It's important that they not tear, so be gentle.
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