Stewed Cabbage
The recipe uses sauerkraut, one of the most popular pickles in Romanian cooking, arguably surpassed only by pickled green tomatoes.
Ștefan Baciu, 08.03.2015, 16:47
It has countless applications, besides being used raw as a pickle, but can also be used as a main ingredient for soups, vegetarian or not. Also, in certain areas of the country, the sauerkraut liquid is used as a souring and flavoring agent. Today’s recipe, though, is the simplest of stews. Even though we present it as a Lent recipe, it definitely works well with cubed pork, and it definitely goes very well with smoked meats, such as ribs or sausage.
Take one or two heads of cabbage for a total of about 2 kg, then two onions, tomato juice, oil, paprika or chili powder, dried thyme and dill, one or two bay leaves, and possibly additional salt if you find the salt in the sauerkraut not enough. Unpack the cabbage leaves and separate them, then hold them in cold water to bleed out the salt. Chop finely the onions, then sautee them in a large stove top vessel. Shred finely the cabbage, then add it to the frying onions. Continue cooking for a while, until the cabbage is well heated through and even starts to brown.
Add a bit of water and the bay leaves, and leave to simmer for about 45 minutes. Towards the end add the tomato juice or paste, a pinch of dried thyme, a pinch of dried dill, the paprika or chili powder, mix well, and cook for about ten more minutes. This can be served hot with polenta, or can be used as a side dish for sausages or pork preparations.
