Mediterranean Cabbage Rolls

Mediterranean Cabbage Rolls, aka Lahanodolmathes, are not what I would consider 100% traditional by Greek standards. However, they are utterly delicious comfort food made of cabbage, ground lamb, feta cheese, onions, dill, oregano, lemon juice, and Greek White Wine with a lavish egg Lemon Sauce.

Almost every ethnic background has its “Traditional Cabbage Roll” recipe that makes its way into ovens come the long-awaited cooler weather. I decided to make a “Greek-inspired Cabbage Roll” this time, changing the traditional method into one of my own.

In Greek cuisine, the word dolma usually refers to the stuffing of vegetables most commonly found in the Middle East, Balkans, the Caucasus, Russia, Central Asia, and Cyprus. The most common plants to stuff are tomatoes, peppers, onions, zucchini, eggplant, and garlic.

The stuffing for dolmas may or may not include meat. Meat-filled Dolmas are usually plated warm. The most common way they are served is with an avgolemono (egg and lemon) sauce. Others prefer a tomato sauce over theirs. Stuffed vegetables are also common in Italian cuisine and are often called ripieni. Below you will find our version of Stuffed Mediterranean Cabbage Rolls – Lahanodolmathes.

Mediterranean Cabbage Rolls 

• One tablespoon olive oil

• One and 1/4 cup chicken stock, plus 1/4 cup

• One cup of rice

• Kosher salt

• One pound of ground lamb

• Four ounces of feta cheese

• One whole egg

• One medium onion, minced

• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

• Two tablespoons fresh dill weed

• 1 teaspoon  finely chopped fresh Greek oregano

• Juice of one lemon +more

• kosher salt, to taste

• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1/4 of a cup Greek white wine

• Two  heads of cabbages, cored

Directions for Mediterranean Cabbage Rolls

1. In a medium saucepan, add one tablespoon of olive oil and 1 and 1/4 cups of chicken stock, bring to a boil, then add 1 cup of rice and a dash of kosher salt. Stir rice well, let it boil for 5 minutes uncovered. Place a tight-fitting lid on the rice and turn the burner to the lowest setting until water is absorbed 10-12 minutes. Turn off heat, remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a large stockpot filled with boiling salted water (the stockpot should contain enough water to cover the head of cabbage completely. Do not overfill the pot), place cored cabbage, as the outer leaves cook, remove larger leaves one at a time with long metal tongs, place on a plate till ready to use.

3. Once the rice has thoroughly cooled, mix the cooked rice, ground lamb, feta cheese, one whole egg, finely chopped onions, 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, fresh dill, finely chopped fresh oregano, juice of one lemon, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste. Mix ingredients thoroughly.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

5. Cutaway a portion of the center vein of cabbage, place even amounts of the filling (about three tablespoons) on each cabbage leaf toward the center bottom (just above the removed portion)

6. Roll the leaf around the filling; by beginning from the leaf’s cut end, roll each leaf up and over the filling, tucking the leaf underneath itself tightly. Tuck the ends underneath and fold the open ends of each leaf underneath them to prevent the roll from unraveling—place in an oven-safe glass casserole dish or Dutch oven seam side down. Pour Greek White Wine and Chicken stock over cabbage rolls. Cover tightly.

7. Bake tightly covered Cabbage Rolls in a 350-degree oven for 40-45 minutes.

Egg Lemon sauce – untraditional Avgolemono

• Five egg yolks

• One tablespoon of heavy cream

• Juice of 5 lemons

• One cup Chicken stock or juice from the casserole

• Two ounces feta crumbles.

• One tablespoon of flour

Directions

1. Whisk the egg yolks and a tablespoon of heavy cream. Slowly temper in 1 cup heated chicken stock or juice from Cabbage Rolls into the egg yolks,  add the lemon juice, feta cheese, and flour, whisking thoroughly. Cook on very low heat, continually stirring till slightly thickened, about 3 – 5 minutes.

2. Remove cabbage rolls from the oven, and pour in the Egg-lemon Sauce over the top of the Mediterranean Cabbage Rolls, cover and let sit for about 10-15 minutes to absorb the flavored sauce before serving.

Mediterranean Cabbage Rolls

hmccallum

Mediterranean Cabbage Rolls are a completely delicious comfort food made of cabbage, ground lamb, feta cheese, onions, dill, oregano, lemon juice, and Greek White Wine with a lavish egg and Lemon Sauce.

5 from 13 votes

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Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 25 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Greek

Servings 6 People

Calories 378 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• ¼ cups Chicken Stock +¼cup
• 1 cup Rice
• Kosher salt to own taste
• 3-4 ounces Feta Cheese
• 1 large Egg
• 1 medium Onion, diced
• ¼ cup Flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon Fresh dill weed chopped
• 1 teaspoon Greek Oregano finely chopped
• Kosher salt to own taste
• black pepper to own taste
• ¼ cup white wine do not sub with cooking wine
• 1-2 heads cabbage steamed and cored

Egg Lemon sauce – nontraditional Avgolemono

• 5 large Egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon Heavy cream
• 5 Fresh Lemons- juice of
• 1 cup Chicken stock
• 3 ounces Feta Cheese
• 1 tablespoon Flour

Instructions

 

Directions for Cabbage Rolls

• In a medium saucepan add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 and 1/4 cups of chicken stock, bring to a boil, then add 1 cup of rice and a dash of kosher salt. Stir rice well, let it boil 5 minutes uncovered. Place a tight-fitting lid on rice and turn the burner to lowest setting, until water is absorbed about 10-12 minutes. Turn off heat, remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a large stockpot filled with boiling salted water,(the stockpot should contain enough water to completely cover the head of cabbage. Do not overfill the pot) place cored cabbage, as the outer leaves cook, remove larger leaves one at a time with long metal tongs, place on plate until ready to use
• Once the rice has completely cooled mix the cooked rice, ground lamb, feta cheese, 1 whole egg, finely chopped onions, ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, fresh dill, finely chopped fresh oregano, juice of one lemon, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste. Mix ingredients thoroughly.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Cut away a portion of the center vein of cabbage, place even amounts of filling (about 3 tablespoons) on each cabbage leaf toward the center bottom, (just above the removed portion)
• Roll the leaf around the filling, by beginning from the cut end of the leaf, roll each leaf up and over the filling, tucking the leaf underneath itself tightly. Tuck the ends underneath and fold the open ends of each leaf underneath them to prevent the roll from unraveling. Place in oven safe glass casserole dish or Dutch oven seam side down. Pour Greek White Wine and Chicken stock over cabbage rolls. Cover tightly.
• Bake tightly covered Cabbage Rolls in 350-degree oven 40-45 minutes.

Directions for Egg Lemon sauce

• Whisk the egg yolks and a tablespoon of heavy cream. Slowly temper in 1 cup heated chicken stock or juice from Cabbage Rolls into the egg yolks, add the lemon juice, feta cheese, and flour, whisking thoroughly. Cook on very low heat constantly stirring till slightly thickened, about 3 – 5 minutes.
• Remove cabbage rolls from oven, and pour in the Egg-lemon Sauce over the top of the Mediterranean Cabbage Rolls, cover and let sit for about 10-15 minutes to absorb the flavor of sauce before serving.

Notes

Although themccallumsshamrockpatch.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and how ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will themccallumsshamrockpatch.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from your reliance on nutritional information.

 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 01Calories: 378kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 14gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 215mgSodium: 441mgPotassium: 570mgFiber: 7gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 802IUVitamin C: 108mgCalcium: 273mgIron: 3mg

Keyword Cabbage Rolls, dill, feta, Lahanodolmathes, Lamb

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If you enjoyed this Greek-inspired recipe, here are a few others you might enjoy.

• Spanakopita – Greek Spinach Pie is a flavorful savory pie filled with spinach, eggs, and feta. This delicious spinach and feta pie is an iconic Greek dish that can be enjoyed as a starter for the main course, an accompaniment to the main course, or a main course if served with a light salad, cheese, and other various complimentary items.
• Avgolemono – Greek Lemon and Egg Soup with Orzo is a timeless classic Greek comfort food at its finest. Its hearty flavors make it the perfect winter meal combining homemade chicken broth, shredded chicken, orzo, carrots, onions, garlic, and fresh asparagus with a thick creamy, lemony soup base made from adding eggs and lemon juice to thicken the Avgolemono Soup.
• Pastitsio – Greek Lasagna is one of my childhood favorites made with comforting layers of long tubular pasta, a delicious homemade Mediterranean meat sauce spiced with ground cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and topped with creamy béchamel and Kefalotyri cheese.

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