Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage

If my mother’s family’s recipes are any indication, there’s nothing more Hungarian than paprika, sour cream, cabbage, and dill all mixed together, and this recipe delivers on all fronts. Ground chicken is mixed with a bit of veal, rice, onion, bell pepper, paprika, and dill and then wrapped up in large cabbage leaves. The stuffed cabbages are layered in a deep pot along with tomatoes, bacon, and sauerkraut and simmered until all the flavors combine into a richly flavored broth. The pan juices are then combined with sour cream and spooned over the stuffed cabbages to serve, creating an unforgettably flavorful take on an eastern European classic. • serves 6

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• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 head green cabbage
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 cup sauerkraut
• 6 strips thick-cut bacon
• 1½ pounds ground chicken
• ½ pound ground veal
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon dried dill
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• About 10 cups chicken stock (enough to cover the cabbage)
• ¾ cup sour cream

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a generous pinch of salt. Cut the core out of the cabbage and discard it. Add the remaining whole cabbage to the pot and cook until the leaves are tender and soft enough to be pulled off the cabbage, about 4 minutes. Drain and cool slightly in a colander before removing the individual leaves from the cabbage and setting them aside.

Spread 1 cup of the diced tomatoes and ½ cup of the sauerkraut in a large deep stockpot. Place 3 strips of the bacon on top of the sauerkraut.

In a large bowl, mix together the ground chicken, veal, rice, onion, bell pepper, garlic, paprika, salt, dill, and black pepper with your hands until combined. Place a few tablespoons of the meat mixture in a line down the center of a cabbage leaf, leaving about 2 inches of space from the edge of the leaf. Roll up the leaf and tuck the sides underneath it. Place the stuffed cabbage leaf in the stockpot, seam side down. Continue stuffing the leaves and arranging them in the pot, layering as necessary, until all the leaves or stuffing have been used.

Lay the remaining 3 bacon slices over the top of the stuffed cabbage and spread the remaining 1 cup chopped tomatoes and remaining ½ cup sauerkraut over the bacon. Pour enough stock into the pot to just cover the stuffed cabbage. Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat, cover, and cook until the cabbage has softened and the filling and rice are cooked through, 1½ to 2 hours.

Remove the cabbage from the pot with a slotted spoon and place on a serving plate. Whisk together 1½ cups of the pan juices with the sour cream and drizzle over the stuffed cabbage to serve.