Chef Jeremy Salamon takes a “Second Generation” approach to traditional stuffed cabbage

“Second Generation” Stuffed Cabbage Recipe:

Ingredients—

• 1/2 pound slab bacon,  store-bought or homemade, chopped
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 medium fennel bulbs, chopped
• 2 large heads of green cabbage, 1 head thinly sliced and 1 head separated into leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Kosher salt
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, store-bought or homemade

To Plate—

• Flaky sea salt and freshly
• ground black pepper (optional)
• Sour cream (optional)
• Extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
• Chopped fresh dill (optional)
• Pickled shallots (optional)

Method—

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a plate with paper towels.
2. To make the filling, place the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon has rendered out most of its fat and is golden brown. Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon and transfer to the paper towels to drain. Add the onions, celery, fennel, and sliced cabbage to the Dutch oven. Cook the vegetables in the bacon fat, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and toast, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the drained bacon and season the mixture with a pinch of salt. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse about 4 times until it’s finely chopped.
3. Prepare an ice-water bath in a large bowl. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Submerge the cabbage leaves in the water until translucent and vibrant, about 5 minutes. Use tongs to plunge the leaves into the ice-water bath. Let chill for 2 minutes to stop the cooking.
4. Remove the cabbage leaves from the water and squeeze the excess water out of them. Working one at a time, lay a leaf on a cutting board and slice diagonally on either side of the stem to remove it. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of the leaf. Fold the sides in and roll the cabbage like a burrito. Line up the stuffed cabbages in a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Once the dish is filled, pour in the stock.
5. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cabbage and stock are steaming hot. Remove from the oven and uncover.

*To plate: Spoon 2 cabbage rolls with some stock into a shallow bowl. Sprinkle it with flaky salt and pepper. Dollop a small amount of sour cream on top and drizzle with olive oil. Finish with fresh dill and pickled shallots. All these toppings are optional and can be added in any order.