Cabbage Rolls

Jade

1 large cabbage
1 t salt
2 slices stale country bread, no crusts
½ C milk
500g sausage meat
½ C raw rice
½ onion, grated
1 garlic clove
2 T chopped parsley
1 t paprika
Salt and black pepper
1 C sour cream (optional)
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 T flour
500ml chicken broth
350ml can tomatoes with juice
2 T tomato paste
2 t soft brown sugar

Discard tough outer leaves from cabbage and cut out core. Cook in pot of simmering salty water for 5-10 mins, remove, reserving water and rinse under cold water. Peel leaves and pat dry. Cut out any thick stem and trim into 8 rough circles of ~20cm diameter. Soak bread in milk then squeeze dry. Mix meat with rice, onion, garlic, parsley, paprika, salt, pepper with your hands. Lay out one circle of cabbage, top with handful of meat, roll up as if for spring roll, tucking edges as you go. Arrange rolls, tightly packed, in flat-bottomed pan, and enough of reserved cabbage water to just cover. Simmer gently 1 hour, covered.

Make tomato sauce while rolls cooking. Heat oil and fry onion and carrot 10 mins. Sprinkle with flour and cook over gentle heat, stirring with wooden spoon until flour lightly browned. Add a little of broth, stirring well then slowly add rest while stirring. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar and bring to boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer 30 mins.

Remove cabbage rolls from liquid, drain and place on plates. Serve with tomato sauce on side, and optional sour cream.