A Taste of Wales - Just Around the Corner..
One of my favourite things to make at this time of year is a Chou Farci, a traditional French dish which means “stuffed cabbage” . It's so comforting to eat, fun to assemble and looks very appealing on the table. what makes this even more rewarding is knowing all the ingredients have been sourced locally. I used foraged girolles from a local forest (not telling where sorry)! and all the vegetables are home grown and came from the Friday farmers market in Kington, the eggs are from less than a mile away.. What I love about this recipe is you can pretty much use anything you have to hand, I especially love it with some leftover shredded chicken but you can also use ground beef or lamb or if your vegetarian, just use mushrooms.
Ingredients You'll Need:
Savoy cabbage (from the Kington farmers market)
Foraged girolles (wild mushrooms)
2 Locally sourced eggs
Fresh herbs (thyme, bay leaves, rosemary)
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Butter (4tbsp)
Tomato paste (2tbsp)
a handful of Breadcrumbs (I used Sourdough)
1 large white onion
2 large carrots
Parsley (a bunch chopped)
2 Garlic cloves
200 ml vegetable stock
Step-by-Step Recipe:
Start by heating a large pot of water until it boils. Add a generous amount of salt. Carefully remove the cabbage leaves, keeping them whole. Boil the leaves in the water for 3-5 minutes. Then, drain them and let them cool in a single layer.
In a large frying pan combine two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté the onion and bay leaves for a brief period. Then, mix in the garlic, carrot, thyme, mushrooms, and salt, and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated.Add the cup of stock and cook for a further 10 minutes. Taste for salt.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool. Grease a 22cm spring-form tin with butter and place a large cabbage leaf, with the vein-side facing down, on the bottom. If the leaves are too curved, trim a small section of the thick rib. Continue adding more leaves, slightly overlapping them, until the bottom of the tin is completely covered with one layer. Leave some leaves hanging over the edges of the tin.
To start, preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F/gas mark three. After the vegetables have cooled down, combine them with beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, and chopped parsley. Spread approximately one-third of the mixture over the cabbage leaves in the baking tin. Layer one or two leaves on top of the mixture. Repeat this process with another third of the mixture and more leaves. Finish by adding the remaining mixture and topping it with leaves. Fold the leaves over the edges to create a tight package, gently pressing down using your hands or a potato masher.
Cut 2 tablespoons of butter into small cubes and scatter over the top. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes. The cabbage should be lightly browned and tender. Let it cool, then invert onto a plate and unmold.
Why Local Ingredients Matter:
Using locally sourced ingredients not only supports your community's farmers and foragers but also ensures that you are working with the freshest produce available. The proximity of these ingredients adds a layer of richness and authenticity to your dish that simply cannot be replicated with supermarket finds.
So, the next time you are planning a meal, consider taking a trip to your local market or exploring the nearby woods for foraged treasures.
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