Ingredients

Adjust Servings:

	For the Sauce
	1 Onion , cut into large chunks
	2 Celery ribs, cut into large chunks
	½ Fennel Bulb , tough core removed, cut into large chunks
	3 cloves Garlic , smashed
	Extra virgin Olive Oil
	¼ pound Pancetta , cut into ¼-inch dice
	2 teaspoons Fennel Seeds , toasted and ground
	Pinch of crushed Red Pepper
	1 cup dry White Wine
	1 28-ounce can Italian plum Tomatoes , passed through a food mill
	2 cups Chicken broth
	2 Bay leaves
	Kosher Salt
	For the Cabbage and Stuffing
	¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
	Kosher Salt
	1 large head savoy Cabbage , leaves separated and tough bottom ribs removed
	Extra virgin Olive Oil
	1 Onion , cut into ¼-inch dice
	½ Fennel Bulb , tough core removed, cut into ¼-inch dice
	Pinch of crushed Red Pepper
	3 cloves Garlic , smashed and finely chopped
	1 pound fennel Sausages , casings removed
	½ to ¾ cup Bread Crumbs
	½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
	3 Chicken ivers, finely chopped (optional but highly recommended!)
	1 large Egg

Braised cabbage stuffed with sausage & fennel recipe

Name: Braised cabbage stuffed with sausage & fennel recipe
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients: Onion: 1; Celery: 2; Fennel Bulb: ½; Garlic: 3 cloves; Olive Oil: Extra virgin; Pancetta: ¼ pound; Fennel Seeds: 2 teaspoons; Red Pepper: Pinch of crushed; White Wine: 1 cup dry; Tomatoes: 1 28-ounce can Italian plum; Chicken broth: 2 cups; Bay leaves: 2; Kosher Salt; Red Wine Vinegar: ¼ cup; Kosher Salt; Cabbage: 1 large head savoy; Olive Oil: Extra virgin; Onion: 1; Fennel Bulb: ½; Red Pepper: Pinch of crushed; Garlic: 3 cloves; Sausages: 1 pound fennel; Bread Crumbs: ½ to ¾ cup; Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese: ½ cup freshly grated; Chicken: 3; Egg: 1 large

2 hours
Serves 6
Medium

Ingredients

For the Sauce
1 Onion
2 Celery
½ Fennel Bulb
3 cloves Garlic
Extra virgin Olive Oil
¼ pound Pancetta
2 teaspoons Fennel Seeds
Pinch of crushed Red Pepper
1 cup dry White Wine
1 28-ounce can Italian plum Tomatoes
2 cups Chicken broth
2 Bay leaves
Kosher Salt
For the Cabbage and Stuffing
¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
Kosher Salt
1 large head savoy Cabbage
Extra virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion
½ Fennel Bulb
Pinch of crushed Red Pepper
3 cloves Garlic
1 pound fennel Sausages
½ to ¾ cup Bread Crumbs
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
3 Chicken
1 large Egg

Directions

The livers add an earthy richness that makes this dish super-special. If you don’t like chicken livers or think you don’t this is one time where you should get beyond the ick factor, accept that they’re worth adding, and move on … because this dish rocks.

Steps

1 Done	For the Sauce In a food processor, puree the onion, celery, fennel, and garlic to a coarse paste.
2 Done	Coat a large wide pan with olive oil and add the pancetta; bring to medium heat and cook until brown and crispy, 4 to 6 minutes.
3 Done	Add the pureed veggies, ground fennel seeds, and red pepper and cook until the vegetables become soft and aromatic and start to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
4 Done	Add the wine, bring to a boil (BTB), and reduce by half, 3 to 4 minutes.
5 Done	Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, and bay leaves and season with salt. Bring to a boil (BTB) and reduce to a simmer (RTS); cook for 15 minutes. Taste to make sure it’s delicious; adjust the seasoning as needed.
6 Done	For the Cabbage and Stuffing Add the vinegar to large pot of well-salted water, bring it to a boil (BTB), and set up a large bowl of well-salted ice water. Add the cabbage to the boiling water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until just tender; immediately plunge it into the salty ice water. When the leaves are cool, remove them from the water and pat dry. Reserve.
7 Done	Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil. Add the onion, fennel, and red pepper and season with salt. Bring the pan to medium heat and cook the vegetables until soft and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.
8 Done	In a large bowl, combine the sausage, bread crumbs, Parm, chicken livers (if using), and egg. Season with salt, add ½ cup water, and mix well to combine; if the mixture seems too dry, add up to another ½ cup water it should be kind of wet. Stir in the onion-fennel mixture.
9 Done	Make a 1- to 2-inch tester patty. In a small sauté pan, heat a bit of oil and cook the patty. When it’s cool enough, taste it to make sure it’s delicious if it’s not, reseason.
10 Done	Lay each cabbage leaf on a flat work surface. Spoon about ¼ cup of filling into each leaf. Fold the outside edges in and roll the leaf around the stuffing. Place each roll on the work surface with the seam side down so the roll will hold itself shut. Look at us, always thinking!
11 Done	Add the cabbage rolls to the sauce, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, then uncover and simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the cabbage rolls with the sauce spooned over them.