Ah! You’re referring to Farcellets de Col, a traditional Catalan dish—essentially stuffed cabbage rolls filled with meat, rice, and sometimes vegetables, often baked in a tomato-based sauce. Here’s a detailed guide:
🥬 Farcellets de Col (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)
🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
- 1 large cabbage (green or savoy)
- 300 g ground meat (beef, pork, or a mix)
- 100 g cooked rice
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 400 ml tomato sauce (homemade or canned)
- Olive oil
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare the cabbage leaves
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Carefully separate the leaves from the cabbage.
- Blanch leaves in boiling water 2–3 minutes until flexible, then drain and cool.
2. Make the filling
- In a bowl, mix ground meat, cooked rice, onion, garlic, parsley, egg, salt, and pepper.
- Combine thoroughly to form a cohesive filling.
3. Assemble the rolls
- Place a spoonful of filling in the center of a cabbage leaf.
- Fold the sides over and roll tightly to enclose the filling.
- Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
4. Cook the farcellets
- Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet or ovenproof dish.
- Brown the rolls lightly on all sides (optional).
- Pour tomato sauce over the rolls.
- Cover and simmer on low heat 30–40 minutes, or bake in the oven at 180°C for 40 minutes.
5. Serve
- Serve hot, drizzled with the tomato sauce.
- Garnish with extra parsley if desired.
🌿 Tips & Variations
- Vegetarian: Use lentils, mushrooms, and rice instead of meat.
- Extra flavor: Add smoked paprika or a dash of nutmeg to the filling.
- Sauce: Tomato sauce can be enriched with cream or stock for a richer taste.
This dish is hearty, comforting, and perfect for a family meal.
If you want, I can also give you a Catalan-style version with a white wine and tomato sauce that’s closer to traditional restaurant recipes. Do you want me to do that?
