Töltött káposzta — Stuffed Cabbage with Sauerkraut
Cabbage leaves stuffed with pork and rice seasoned with paprika, simmered for a long time on a bed of sauerkraut with smoked bacon, all topped with sour cream. The fermented acidity of the cabbage answers the fragrant fat of the filling.
Cabbage leaves stuffed with pork and rice seasoned with paprika, simmered for a long time on a bed of sauerkraut with smoked bacon, all topped with sour cream. The fermented acidity of the cabbage answers the fragrant fat of the filling.
Ah, that one is not served on an ordinary day! At home we say that töltött káposzta is better reheated the next day—so I had it prepared two days before, and too bad if all of Denham waited for the producer. The trick, you see, is the smoke: a good piece of smoked bacon at the bottom of the cauldron, and the sauerkraut underneath giving off its sourness. You let time do its work, as with a film—nothing good is rushed.
- •Cabbage leaves (fresh or sour) — about ten (wrapper)
- •Sauerkraut — a good layer (fermented acidic base)
- •Ground pork — a good amount (filling)
- •Rice — a handful (binder)
- •Smoked bacon — a piece (smoky flavor)
- •Smoked sausage — a few chunks (garnish)
- •Onion, garlic, paprika — to taste (aromatics)
- •Sour cream — generous (final topping)
Töltött káposzta — Stuffed Cabbage with Sauerkraut
Cabbage leaves stuffed with pork and rice seasoned with paprika, simmered for a long time on a bed of sauerkraut with smoked bacon, all topped with sour cream. The fermented acidity of the cabbage answers the fragrant fat of the filling.
Why this dish? A dish for large family tables and year-end holidays in Hungary. Korda, a generous host nostalgic for his homeland, gladly gathered the Hungarians of London—his brothers Zoltán and Vincent, his actors—around these dishes from home.
Ah, that one is not served on an ordinary day! At home we say that töltött káposzta is better reheated the next day—so I had it prepared two days before, and too bad if all of Denham waited for the producer. The trick, you see, is the smoke: a good piece of smoked bacon at the bottom of the cauldron, and the sauerkraut underneath giving off its sourness. You let time do its work, as with a film—nothing good is rushed.
Ingredients (period version)
- Cabbage leaves (fresh or sour) — about ten (wrapper)
- Sauerkraut — a good layer (fermented acidic base)
- Ground pork — a good amount (filling)
- Rice — a handful (binder)
- Smoked bacon — a piece (smoky flavor)
- Smoked sausage — a few chunks (garnish)
- Onion, garlic, paprika — to taste (aromatics)
- Sour cream — generous (final topping)
Ingredients
- Large blanched cabbage leaves — 10-12 (wrapper)
- Raw sauerkraut, rinsed — 600 g (fermented bed)
- Ground pork — 500 g (filling)
- Short-grain rice — 80 g (parboiled) (binder)
- Smoked bacon lardons — 150 g (smoky flavor)
- Smoked sausage (kolbász) — 1 (garnish)
- Onion + 2 garlic cloves — 1 + 2 (aromatics)
- Sweet paprika — 1 tbsp (flavor)
- Sour cream — 200 g (topping)
Method
- Sauté the chopped onion, add paprika off the heat, then mix cold with the pork, parboiled rice, garlic, and salt for the filling.
- Place a spoonful of filling on each cabbage leaf and roll tightly, tucking in the sides.
- Line the bottom of a casserole with rinsed sauerkraut and smoked bacon lardons; place the rolls on top, tuck the sausage in between.
- Cover with water, add a pinch of paprika, and simmer covered over low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Serve each roll on a bed of sauerkraut, topped with sour cream.
- Ideally, cool and reheat the next day: the flavor deepens.
How it was made : A legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, stuffed cabbage is made in autumn after the sauerkraut is barreled. Lactic fermentation allowed cabbage to be preserved all winter, a precious source of acidity and vitamins in the cold plains of Central Europe.
The contemporary twist : Plated as a tight 'reel,' with a glossy sour cream sauce shining like a projector beam—a nod to Korda's cinema.
Sources : Károly Gundel, Hungarian Cookery Book · George Lang, The Cuisine of Hungary (1971)
Alexander Korda · Charactorium