ArcaMax

Autumn makes many of us think about slowly cooked dishes that provide warmth and comfort. No matter who you are or where you come from, such home-style recipes are among the most sought-after and beloved I know.

That fact became dramatically clear to me six years ago when I was invited to shoot an episode of my Food Network television series with my friends Siegfried and Roy, the legendary Las Vegas magicians.

Planning the show, I thought at first that I should cook something as spectacular as the illusions for which the duo is so well known. But then it dawned on me that fancy food was precisely what they wouldn't want to eat when relaxing at home. At that moment, I knew what I would make: stuffed cabbage.

Siegfried and Roy grew up in Germany, not that far from my own boyhood home in Austria. So it was a safe guess that their families enjoyed the same dish my mother and grandmother made once a week during autumn and winter.

You should have seen their happy expressions when I told them what we were eating. The TV crew set up an outdoor kitchen on the palatial grounds of their estate. With Siegfried and Roy as my assistants, I went to work, teaching my friends the same basics that I'm happy to share here. To be honest, I'm surprised I remember the recipe at all, considering that I was handling raw meat while giant lions and tigers were walking nearby on leashes no bigger than the one I use for my toy poodle.

You can use any kind of ground meat you like for the filling. I prefer chicken, turkey, pork or veal; beef and lamb are good, too, but they'll give less delicate results. To lighten the filling, I add some bread soaked in milk. In addition to salt and pepper, you can also include your favorite herbs or spices, nuts such as pistachios, almonds or pine nuts, and dried fruit such as raisins or chopped apricots.

I like to use large, beautiful Savoy cabbage leaves. For ease of wrapping, I cut out the thick stems, then blanch the leaves briefly in boiling water to make them pliable.

Finally comes the sauce. I like a light but tangy tomato sauce to accent the flavors. If you like, add a little sugar and vinegar for a traditional middle-European sweet-and-sour effect. If you're pressed for time, you can even substitute store-bought marinara.

Whatever you use, be sure to cook the stuffed cabbage long enough at gentle heat for the leaves to become almost meltingly tender. Whether you enjoy it hot or even cold the next day, the result is the delicious stuff of heartwarming memories.

STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES WITH PAPRIKA TOMATO SAUCE

Serves 4

STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES

9 slices white bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup milk

1-1/2 pounds ground meat of your choice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1-1/2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Water

12 large cabbage leaves, preferably Savoy cabbage

PAPRIKA TOMATO SAUCE

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup diced onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 teaspoons sweet paprika

2 cups organic chicken broth

1 cup diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

4 leaves fresh sage or 4 sprigs fresh thyme

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

First, make the filling for the Stuffed Cabbage Leaves: Put the bread cubes in a small mixing bowl, add the milk and leave the bread to soak until it is completely saturated, about 30 minutes. With your hands, squeeze out the excess milk. Discard the milk and add the soaked bread to a large mixing bowl with the meat, parsley, sage, garlic, salt, sugar and pepper. Mix well, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare a large bowl full of ice and water. Add the cabbage leaves to the pot and blanch them in the boiling water just until they are slightly wilted, about 1 minute; then drain them and immediately transfer to the ice water. When the leaves are cold, remove them from the water and pat them dry.

With a small, sharp knife, cut the thick part of the stem from each leaf. Place a heaping 1/2 cup of the filling in the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling, overlapping them slightly; then, starting at the stem end, roll up the leaf into a compact bundle. Set aside, seam down.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: Heat a large ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and paprika and saute briefly. Then stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and sage or thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Arrange the stuffed cabbage leaves neatly in a single layer in the saucepan. Bring the sauce back to a boil. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake until the rolls are cooked through and firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes.

To serve, use a large spoon to transfer the rolls to a platter or individual heated plates. Spoon the sauce over and around them.

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