What kind of cabbage should I be using to make cabbage rolls? My
local store keeps white cabbages (small and dense) and savoy cabbages
(big and leafy) - does the choice make any difference? I would've
thought that the bigger leaves on the savoy cabbages would be easier
to deal with, but I'd welcome suggestions either way..

Many thanks,

Andy

Andy wrote:
What kind of cabbage should I be using to make cabbage rolls? My
local store keeps white cabbages (small and dense) and savoy cabbages
(big and leafy) - does the choice make any difference? I would've
thought that the bigger leaves on the savoy cabbages would be easier
to deal with, but I'd welcome suggestions either way..

Many thanks,

Andy

http://www.foodsubs.com/Cabbage.html#napa

I think you're referring to green cabbage when you say "white cabbage". It
appears you can use the savoy in its place and I agree the leaves would
probably be easier to deal with for cabbage rolls.

Jill

In article , says...
What kind of cabbage should I be using to make cabbage rolls? My
local store keeps white cabbages (small and dense) and savoy cabbages
(big and leafy) - does the choice make any difference? I would've
thought that the bigger leaves on the savoy cabbages would be easier
to deal with, but I'd welcome suggestions either way..

Many thanks,

Andy

My wife is the most expert cabbage roll maker I've come across ;-)
What she does is, she immerses the cabbage in boiling water briefly, then
fishes it out and dips it in cold water. Removes the outer leaves which are now
pliable. Back to the pot of boiling water .... (rinse and repeat).
Very laborious process. I shudder, just watching. The result is worth it (so
long as I don't have to do the 'it' part).

Oh, and she uses the ordinary firm cabbages, not savoy.

-P.


--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

On Tue 13 Dec 2005 05:37:12a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Peter
Huebner?

In article ,
says...
What kind of cabbage should I be using to make cabbage rolls? My
local store keeps white cabbages (small and dense) and savoy cabbages
(big and leafy) - does the choice make any difference? I would've
thought that the bigger leaves on the savoy cabbages would be easier
to deal with, but I'd welcome suggestions either way..

Many thanks,

Andy

My wife is the most expert cabbage roll maker I've come across ;-)
What she does is, she immerses the cabbage in boiling water briefly,
then fishes it out and dips it in cold water. Removes the outer leaves
which are now pliable. Back to the pot of boiling water .... (rinse and
repeat). Very laborious process. I shudder, just watching. The result is
worth it (so long as I don't have to do the 'it' part).

Oh, and she uses the ordinary firm cabbages, not savoy.

-P.

Same here, and it is worth it. The shortcut methods like freezing the
whole head of cabbage, then defrosting, makes for really horrible cabbage.
Oh, yes, ordinary cabbage.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________________________

A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!

On Wed, 14 Dec 2005 01:37:12 +1300, Peter Huebner
wrote:

My wife is the most expert cabbage roll maker I've come across ;-)
What she does is, she immerses the cabbage in boiling water briefly, then
fishes it out and dips it in cold water. Removes the outer leaves which are now
pliable. Back to the pot of boiling water .... (rinse and repeat).
Very laborious process. I shudder, just watching. The result is worth it (so
long as I don't have to do the 'it' part).

Oh, and she uses the ordinary firm cabbages, not savoy.

Tell her she could save time by peeling off all the leaves and doing
The Process to all of them at once.

Carol
--

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/head_trollop/my_photos

Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
On Wed, 14 Dec 2005 01:37:12 +1300, Peter Huebner
wrote:


My wife is the most expert cabbage roll maker I've come across ;-)
What she does is, she immerses the cabbage in boiling water briefly, then
fishes it out and dips it in cold water. Removes the outer leaves which are now
pliable. Back to the pot of boiling water .... (rinse and repeat).
Very laborious process. I shudder, just watching. The result is worth it (so
long as I don't have to do the 'it' part).

Oh, and she uses the ordinary firm cabbages, not savoy.


Tell her she could save time by peeling off all the leaves and doing
The Process to all of them at once.

Carol

Some cabbages aren't agreeable to that method... If the OPs cabbage is
anything like what grows locally here you would have a bunch of torn
leaves if you tried to remove them before cooking.

On Wed 14 Dec 2005 06:31:22a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it George?

Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
On Wed, 14 Dec 2005 01:37:12 +1300, Peter Huebner
wrote:


My wife is the most expert cabbage roll maker I've come across ;-)
What she does is, she immerses the cabbage in boiling water briefly,
then fishes it out and dips it in cold water. Removes the outer leaves
which are now pliable. Back to the pot of boiling water .... (rinse and
repeat). Very laborious process. I shudder, just watching. The result
is worth it (so long as I don't have to do the 'it' part).

Oh, and she uses the ordinary firm cabbages, not savoy.


Tell her she could save time by peeling off all the leaves and doing
The Process to all of them at once.

Carol

Some cabbages aren't agreeable to that method... If the OPs cabbage is
anything like what grows locally here you would have a bunch of torn
leaves if you tried to remove them before cooking.


Yes, the cabbages I can buy would never come apart like that without par-
cooking to soften and loosen the leaves.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________________________

A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!

On Wed, 14 Dec 2005 08:31:22 -0500, George
wrote:

Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
On Wed, 14 Dec 2005 01:37:12 +1300, Peter Huebner
wrote:


My wife is the most expert cabbage roll maker I've come across ;-)
What she does is, she immerses the cabbage in boiling water briefly, then
fishes it out and dips it in cold water. Removes the outer leaves which are now
pliable. Back to the pot of boiling water .... (rinse and repeat).
Very laborious process. I shudder, just watching. The result is worth it (so
long as I don't have to do the 'it' part).

Oh, and she uses the ordinary firm cabbages, not savoy.


Tell her she could save time by peeling off all the leaves and doing
The Process to all of them at once.

Carol

Some cabbages aren't agreeable to that method... If the OPs cabbage is
anything like what grows locally here you would have a bunch of torn
leaves if you tried to remove them before cooking.

Gotcha. I apologize for providing faulty advice, Peter.

Thanks, George.
Carol
--

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/head_trollop/my_photos

Peter Huebner wrote:

My wife is the most expert cabbage roll maker I've come across ;-)
What she does is, she immerses the cabbage in boiling water briefly, then
fishes it out and dips it in cold water. Removes the outer leaves which
are now pliable. Back to the pot of boiling water .... (rinse and repeat).
Very laborious process. I shudder, just watching. The result is worth it (so
long as I don't have to do the 'it' part).

Oh, and she uses the ordinary firm cabbages, not savoy.

All that is unnecessary. Discard the tough outside leaves. Detach the
rest of the cabbage leaves, wrap 'em in foil and put into hot oven for
about 7 minutes. The leaves will be tastier, more elastic, and will
retain all their juices.

Victor

In article ,
(Victor Sack) wrote:

Peter Huebner wrote:

My wife is the most expert cabbage roll maker I've come across ;-)
What she does is, she immerses the cabbage in boiling water briefly, then
fishes it out and dips it in cold water. Removes the outer leaves which
are now pliable. Back to the pot of boiling water .... (rinse and repeat).
Very laborious process. I shudder, just watching. The result is worth it (so
long as I don't have to do the 'it' part).

Oh, and she uses the ordinary firm cabbages, not savoy.

All that is unnecessary. Discard the tough outside leaves. Detach the
rest of the cabbage leaves, wrap 'em in foil and put into hot oven for
about 7 minutes. The leaves will be tastier, more elastic, and will
retain all their juices.

Victor

I've heard that freezing the cabbage head will render the leaves limp,
too. I do the boiling water thing but don't put them in cold water
after. And I trim the thick rib.
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 12-13-05 - RIP, Gerri