Cabbage is a healthy, tasty vegetable. It can be used both chopped in salads and stews, and as a base for stuffed cabbage - just wrapping the filling in a whole leaf of cabbage.
Instructions
Step 1
Cutting leaves from a fresh head of cabbage is not easy: every now and then they tear or turn out to be uneven. However, for the preparation of stuffed cabbage, the leaves must be whole, otherwise the filling will simply fall out of the base. There are several ways to separate the leaves from the cabbage stalk: Boil the unsalted water in a large saucepan so that the cabbage stump fits easily into the liquid. Dip the head of cabbage into the boiling water, stump up. Wait a few minutes. Remove the cabbage from the water, cool it a little. You need to cut the cabbage hot, but so as not to burn your hands. Make 4 cuts with a sharp knife on each side of the stump. A sharp knife will easily enter a steamed head of cabbage. After a couple of minutes, separate the cut leaves from the stalk with your hands. "Uncover" them on a plate and wait to cook stuffed cabbage rolls.
Step 2
If you don't want to risk boiling water, but are planning to cook cabbage rolls for tomorrow, put the cabbage head in the freezer overnight. Take it out in the morning to defrost it at room temperature. Don't try to speed up this process with a microwave! Just put the cabbage in a bowl for the water to drain and let it “warm” for a few hours. Thawed cabbage will soon become soft, and the leaves can be easily removed from the stump by hand. You can get rid of excess moisture on cabbage leaves by blotting them with kitchen napkins.
Step 3
Another way to remove the leaves from a head of cabbage, subjecting it to heat treatment, is to heat it up in the microwave. Choose a cabbage that fits easily in the oven. Wash the head of cabbage and carefully cut the stump. Place the cabbage in the microwave for 10 minutes. Remove the cabbage, cool it slightly so as not to burn yourself, and remove the leaves with your hands.
