Ah! Farcellets de col are a traditional Catalan/Spanish dish—essentially stuffed cabbage rolls. They’re tender cabbage leaves wrapped around a savory filling, often meat-based, and simmered in a flavorful sauce 🥬🍖. Here’s a classic version:
Farcellets de Col (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)
Ingredients (makes 6–8 rolls)
Cabbage
- 1 large cabbage
- Salt, for boiling
Filling
- 1 lb (450 g) ground meat (beef, pork, or a mix)
- ½ cup cooked rice
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt & pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Sauce
- 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
- Salt & pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Prep cabbage leaves
- Core cabbage and carefully peel off large leaves.
- Blanch leaves in boiling salted water for 2–3 minutes until pliable. Drain and set aside.
- Make filling
- In a bowl, mix ground meat, cooked rice, onion, garlic, egg, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Assemble rolls
- Place 1–2 tbsp of filling in the center of each cabbage leaf.
- Fold sides over the filling and roll tightly. Secure with a toothpick if needed.
- Prepare sauce
- Heat olive oil in a skillet. Sauté onion and garlic until soft.
- Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5–10 minutes.
- Cook rolls
- Place cabbage rolls in the sauce, seam-side down.
- Cover and simmer 30–40 minutes until meat is cooked and cabbage is tender.
- Serve
- Serve rolls hot, spooning sauce over them. Optional: garnish with parsley.
Tips & Variations
- Smoky flavor: Add a few slices of smoked bacon to the filling.
- Cheesy twist: Mix some grated cheese into the meat filling.
- Rice-free version: Use breadcrumbs or finely chopped vegetables instead of rice.
- Oven option: Bake covered at 350°F (175°C) for 35–40 minutes.
If you want, I can also give a lighter Mediterranean version with turkey and herbs that’s less heavy but just as flavorful.
Do you want me to do that?
