Bacon stuffed cabbage balls with potato and leek purée
A little effort to assemble but sure to impress, these balls are laced with bacon, wrapped in Savoy and gently braised.
Ingredients
For the bacon stuffed cabbage balls
- 100g/3½oz smoked streaky bacon
- 110g/3½oz unsalted butter
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 small carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 300g/10½oz pork mince
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- 1 Savoy cabbage, leaves removed, frozen and defrosted, central vein removed
- 350ml/12fl oz chicken stock
For the potato and leek purée
- 30g/1oz unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, left whole
- 2 leeks, finely sliced
- 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
- 100ml/3½fl oz full-fat milk
- 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 100ml/3½fl oz chicken stock
To serve
- 1 carrot with leaves, peeled and then peeled into long strips
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
To make the cabbage balls, cook the bacon in a medium frying pan for 2–3 minutes or until cooked. Remove to a board and chop.
In the same frying pan, melt 30g/1oz of the butter then fry the thyme, garlic and onion. Add the carrots and chopped bacon, cook for a further 2–3 minutes, then set aside.
Heat a medium sauté pan or large frying pan and add the oil. Once hot, add the pork mince and cook until golden-brown.
Add 200ml/⅓ pint water to the pan to deglaze and cook for a further 1–2 minutes over a high heat.
Add the bacon mixture to the pan and cover with a cartouche or lid and cook for 45 minutes. Once cooked, stir through the fresh parsley and 30g/1oz of the butter.
Cut the cabbage leaves in half and then half again. Use a rolling pin to flatten the veins. Place 2 teaspoons of the bacon mixture in the centre of each piece of cabbage and roll the leaf up around the mixture into a ball shape. You will need 12 balls.
Place the balls into a round ovenproof dish and pour over the chicken stock. Dice the remaining 50g/1¾oz butter and dot around the dish. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.
To make the potato and leek purée, heat a medium saucepan and add the butter. Once melted, add the garlic and thyme and cook for 1–2 minutes. Stir in the leeks and cook for 3–4 minutes or until soft.
Pour in the cream and milk and cook for 4–5 minutes. Add the potatoes and chicken stock and cook for 15–20 minutes over a low heat covered with a cartouche or lid.
Remove from the heat and discard the thyme sprigs. Transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. You can then push the mixture through a sieve if you want it even smoother.
To serve, spoon some leek and potato purée into the centre of each plate and top with three cabbage balls per person. Garnish with the carrot strips and carrot leaves.
