Or……

Gołąbki, Kåldolmar, Pigeons, Halupkies, Dolmas, Kohlrouladen, Holubtsi, Holishkes, Golubtsy……

About Cabbages and Kings etc etc…..

Gołąbki are also referred to as golombki, golumpki, golabki, golumpkies, golumpkis, gluntkes, or gwumpki. Similar variations are called holubky (Slovak), töltött káposzta (Hungarian), holubtsi (Ukrainian), golubtsy (Russian), balandėliai (Lithuanian), Kohlrouladen in Germany (or sarma a Turkish loan-word, commonly applied to some Southern Slavic versions, particularly in the Carpathian and Balkan regions), kåldolmar (Sweden, from the Turkish dolma). In Yiddish, holipshes, goleptzi golumpki and holishkes or holep are very similar dishes. They are also referred to as “pigeons” (England and the Pennsylvania Anthracite Coal Region). In the United States, the terms are commonly Anglicised by second- or third-generation Americans to “pigs in a blanket”, “piggies”, “stuffed cabbage”, “stuffed cabbage leaves”, or “cabbage casserole”.

Savoy Cabbage

It appears that cabbage rolls, in one form or another, are global; my recipe today for Sausage Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, is one that I grew up with and is a classic British stuffed cabbage roll recipe, but with some added cheese for good measure. It’s not hard to see why these rustic recipes are popular, cabbages were grown in most people’s gardens as a staple vegetable, they are fairly cheap to buy, even today – plus, one cabbage goes a long way. Sausage meat or sausages are still classed as poor man’s pork, insofar as sausages are cheap and a great source of protein for family meals, and of course, as with cabbages, a little goes a long way. So, cabbage rolls in all their forms are comforting, filling and inexpensive to make, and they seem to resonate with people’s memories of comforting meals around the family table when they were children.

Sausage Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

I have shared a cabbage roll recipe before, but using fewer ingredients and no cheese; today’s recipe is similar, but has the added ingredients of smoked bacon, herbs and melted cheese on top, all of which were added according to what was filed away in the fridge and what was available in my herb garden! I rather like the old English name for stuffed cabbage rolls, which is “Pigeons” and is also the translation for the Polish variety called Gołąbki too. Now is the season to embrace your brassicas, and pork (or pork sausage meat) is also a winter or cold weather meat. All brassicas do so much better when they have a healthy dose of frost on them, and as we are still experiencing heavy ground frost, why not pop down to your local farm shop and buy some cabbages for today’s recipe.

I hope you enjoy my latest Winter recipe for Sausage Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, and please do check out the other global cabbage roll recipes I’ve shared below too – and there are some veggie and vegan versions, so, it seems when it comes to frugal, comforting winter recipes, the humble cabbage still reigns supreme.….I’ll be back soon with some more baked treats, as well as some intriguing traveller’s tales, have a great day, Karen 

Notes:

These delicious cabbage rolls are easy to make and are perfect for a cheap and cheerful, but comforting family meal; serve them with extra tomato sauce and mashed potatoes, or Polish style (Gołąbki) with sour cream and caraway seeds and freshly chopped dill tips. (Not suitable for freezing, but the rolls can be prepared in advance before cooking)

Sausage Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

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Serves	4 to 6
Prep time	30 minutes
Cook time	1 hour
Total time	1 hour, 30 minutes
Meal type	Lunch, Main Dish
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot
Occasion	Casual Party, Halloween
By author	Karen Burns-Booth

These delicious cabbage rolls are easy to make and are perfect for a cheap and cheerful, but comforting family meal; serve them with extra tomato sauce and mashed potatoes, or Polish style (Gołąbki) with sour cream and caraway seeds and freshly chopped dill tips.

Ingredients

• 1 Savoy cabbage (with 12 to 14 leaves separated)
• 450g high meat content sausages, skinned (or pork sausage meat for stuffing)
• 50g smoked lardons (very finely diced)
• 4 slices of stale bread (broken into bread crumbs and soaked in 2 tablespoons milk)
• 1 onion, peeled and grated
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley or marjoram
• salt and pepper to taste
• butter to grease
• 150mls vegetable or chicken stock
• 100g grated extra mature Cheddar cheese
• 450ml Passata (or 450g tin chopped tomatoes mixed with 4 tablespoons water)

Note

These delicious cabbage rolls are easy to make and are perfect for a cheap and cheerful, but comforting family meal; serve them with extra tomato sauce and mashed potatoes, or Polish style (Gołąbki) with sour cream and caraway seeds and freshly chopped dill tips. (Not suitable for freezing, but the rolls can be prepared in advance before cooking)

Directions

Step 1	Cut out the thick middle core of the Savoy cabbage leaves, and blanch them in a pan of boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes; drain the leaves, and plunge them into cold water straight away, then drain thoroughly; set aside until needed.
Step 2	Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4 and butter an enamel roasting pan that has a lid - I used a Falcon Enamel 30cm Oval Roaster; the lid is very important, as it stops the cabbage leaves drying our and creates a mini oven within the roaster, and the enamel is great for heat retention.
Step 3	Mix the sausages/sausage meat and the smoked lardons with the soaked bread crumbs, onion, garlic, herbs and season with salt and pepper - you will need to season the stuffing mixture well, with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black or white pepper. Mix well with wet hands and form into 12 to 14 balls, enough for each cabbage leaf.
Step 4	Spoon a third of the passata into the buttered roaster and then start to make the cabbage rolls; place a cabbage leaf on a board and fill each leaf with a stuffing ball, placing it in the centre of the leaves - fold the sides, top and bottom of the leaves over, and place the cabbage roll seam side down in the prepared roaster. Continue until all the leaves and the stuffing has been used.
Step 5	Spoon the remaining passata over the top pf the cabbage leaves and pour the stock around the leaves. Scatter the grated cheese over the top, cover with the lid and bake in a pre-heated oven for between 50 minutes and 1 hour, until the sausage meat isn't pink. Take the lid off for the last 5 minutes to brown the cheese.
Step 6	Serve immediately with mashed potatoes, or Polish style, with sour cream and fresh dill. You can also served these cabbage rolls with extra tomato sauce.
Step 7	Not suitable for freezing, as the cabbage retains too much water.

Global Cabbage Roll Recipes:

Golabki (cabbage rolls)

Vegetarian Golubtsy

Sausage Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

ARMENIAN STUFFED CABBAGE (DOLMAS)

Kåldolmar

Halupkies

Kohlrouladen Vegan

HOLUBTSI