Stuffed Cabbage Cake with Sausage
Ingredients
- EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
- Nutmeg
- Butter
- 1 large, heavy Savoy cabbage
- 1 bundle sage leaves, stacked and thinly sliced
- 1 onion, very thinly sliced on a mandoline or with a knife
- 1 teaspoon fennel pollen or seeds
- 2 pounds meaty Italian sweet sausage, removed from casings
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Place cabbage core in a mixing bowl and dress with about 3 tablespoons of EVOO, 3 to 4 grated garlic cloves, the fennel pollen or seed, sage leaves, a few grates fresh nutmeg and onion. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
Rub the bottom of a 10-inch round casserole or baking dish with butter. Line the dish with the largest and prettiest cabbage leaves, letting the edges hang over the dish a bit.
Add half the cabbage and onion mixture to the lined casserole dish and top with half of the sausage, making a solid, even layer and packing the dish down firmly. Add a couple more leaves of cabbage to create another layer, half the core filling and remaining sausage. Press layer down then top with a few more leaves of cabbage to seal filling. Fold in sides of first layer to secure cake and dot the top with butter.
Bake the cake in center of the oven for about an hour and 15 minutes, or until the center reaches an about 165°F. Cool cake about 15 minutes.
Place a platter over the casserole and carefully invert to unmold. Slice into wedges and serve with garlicky mashed potatoes alongside and lots of mustard for dipping.
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