Red Rolls

 Ingredients: For 8 rolls we need: - 8 large leaves of red cabbage - 650-750g minced meat (a mix of pork and beef is tastier) - 200-250g mushrooms - 2-4 tablespoons sour cream - 1-2 pieces of eggs - 1-2 slices of bread, crustless, older than 1 day - 2-4 tablespoons dry red wine (semi-dry) - 1-1.5 cups of meat broth (1 cup = 250 ml; can be obtained from a cube. I use 1 liter because we like the sauce) - 1-2 pieces of cloves - 3 tablespoons of wine vinegar (2 tablespoons of lemon juice) - 1 tablespoon of sugar - 1 tablespoon of flour - salt - ground white pepper - 4 1/2 tablespoons of margarine

To prepare a delicious recipe for cabbage rolls with meat and mushrooms, we start by preparing a fragrant mixture that will give a special taste to our dish. The first step is to boil 1 liter of water in a pot, adding a tablespoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, a teaspoon of sugar, a few cloves, and a cup of wine vinegar or the juice of a lemon. These ingredients will add a note of acidity and sweetness, which will perfectly complement the cabbage leaves.

Meanwhile, we take care of the cabbage leaves, which we wash well under cold running water and remove the thicker veins to make them easier to roll. Once the water starts to boil, we introduce the cabbage leaves into the pot and let them boil for 5 minutes. It is important not to leave them longer, as the risk of them breaking is very high. Once boiled, we carefully remove them from the water and let them drain on a clean towel.

In parallel, we prepare the filling. We take a few slices of bread and soak them in warm water. Then, the fresh mushrooms, washed and finely chopped, are sautéed in a pan with a tablespoon of melted margarine. We add 1-2 tablespoons of water and let the mushrooms sweat for a few minutes to release their aroma. After they have cooled, we pass them through a meat grinder.

Now, we squeeze the bread well and crumble it, then add it to the bowl with the minced meat. We mix well with the beaten egg and sour cream, then incorporate the sautéed mushrooms and mix until we obtain a homogeneous composition. Don’t forget to adjust the taste with salt and pepper.

We divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and, on each cabbage leaf, we place a portion of the filling, rolling the leaf tightly and closing the ends, like a sarma. In a heat-resistant dish, we melt the remaining margarine and arrange the rolls nicely, pouring the meat broth over them. We cover the dish with aluminum foil so that the color of the rolls does not darken too much. We bake at 180 degrees Celsius for one hour.

During baking, we prepare a fine sauce from flour and wine, which we will add towards the end of cooking. When the time is up, we take the dish out of the oven, remove the foil, and pour the sauce, mixing carefully so as not to ruin the appearance of the rolls. We leave it in the oven for a few more boils until the sauce thickens.

In the end, we serve the rolls hot, with the red sauce generously poured over them, alongside a side of polenta or mashed potatoes. This dish is perfect for festive meals or for a family dinner, offering a mix of flavors and textures that will surely impress everyone. Enjoy your meal!

 Tags:  eggs meat cabbage tomatoes soup flour sour cream life mushrooms wine pig sugar roll margarine lemon christmas and new year's recipes