STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS
McCall's Cooking School
Servings: 8

1 large head green cabbage (3 lb)
1 teaspoon salt

STUFFING:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb ground chuck
1/2 lb ground veal
1-1/2 cups cooked white rice
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper

TOMATO SAUCE:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice

1: In 8-qt kettle, bring 6 cups water to boiling. Meanwhile, carefullly remove 12 outer leaves from cabbage. Add leaves and 1 teaspoon salt to boiling water; simmer 3 minutes--long enough to make leaves pliable. Drain leaves, reserving 2 cups liquid.

2: If leaves are not pliable or soft enough to roll, return to boiling water for a minute or two. Trim thick rib. Make stuffing: Melt 1/4 cup better in a large, heavy skillet. Add the chopped onion; saute, stirring with a large wooden spoon, until it is golden--3 minutes.

3: Add 1/4 cup butter, along with the garlic and mushrooms; saute, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add chuck, veal, rice, eggs, 1 teaspoon salt and dash pepper; cook, uncovered and stirring, about 5 minutes, or until meat is no longer red.

4: Make tomato sauce: Melt butter in medium saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually stir in tomato paste combined with the 2 cups reserved cabbage liquid. Over medium heat, bring to boiling, stirring with wooden spoon.

5: Stir in salt, pepper and allspice; remove from heat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place 1/2 cup of the meat mixture in the hollow of each of the 12 cabbage leaves. Fold the sides of leaf over the stuffing; roll up from the thick end of the leaf to make a neat roll.

6: Arrange cabbage rolls, seam side down, in a single layer in lightly greased, shallow, 3-quart casserole. Pour sauce over all. Bake, covered, 50 minutes; uncovered, 10 minutes. Remove to warm serving platter; spoon sauce over all.