Deceptively simple to prepare and always admired, stuffed cabbage leaves can be filled with spiced rice and kept in the oven on a low heat until needed. They are best served with a colourful tomato or cranberry relish.
(Serves 4)
140g mixed wild and basmati rice
125ml cider
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
100g raisins
1 small head savoy cabbage
600ml vegetable stock
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Put the rice into a medium-sized saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer, cover and cook for 50 minutes, topping up the water if necessary until the wild rice is tender. Drain and leave to cool.
Put the cider into a small pan and gently fry the onion, garlic and raisins in it until the onion is soft. Stir the mixture into the rice and mix thoroughly.
Prepare a large saucepan of boiling water. Trim the stalk of the cabbage and pull off all the leaves that are large enough to stuff – there are likely to be 12 to 15. Drop the leaves into boiling water and leave for five minutes to soften.
Drain, then stuff each one with a spoonful of the rice mixture. Working on a flat surface, smooth out a leaf, put the stuffing in the centre and fold up the sides, then roll up. You can trim away any thick stems that make rolling difficult. Pour a little stock into the bottom of a baking dish and arrange the cabbage rolls on top, making several layers if necessary. Pour the rest of the stock over the dish, cover with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes.
• Extracted from the Vegetarian Year by Jane Hughes (Anova Pavilion, £20). To order a copy for £16, go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call the Guardian Bookshop on 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99.
