Sarma recipe

Serbian rolls of whole fermented cabbage leaves stuffed with pork, beef and rice, stewed for hours between pieces of smoked meat and finished with a paprika roux.

5 hoursmedium12 ingredients

Ingredients

• 2000 g whole sour cabbage heads (kiseli kupus)
• 500 g ground pork
• 250 g ground beef
• 200 g smoked pork ribs
• 150 g smoked bacon (slanina)
• 50 g rice
• 1 onion
• 150 g lard
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp paprika (aleva paprika)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt

How to make Sarma

1. Separate the leaves of 2 kg of whole sour cabbage heads, cut out the thick ribs and rinse the leaves in cold water if they are very salty; shred the small inner leaves. These heads are lacto-fermented in brine for several weeks: buy them ready-made from a Balkan grocer, because blanched fresh cabbage will not give the dish its sourness.
2. Fry 1 finely chopped onion in 150 g of lard, add 250 g of ground pork and 250 g of ground beef and brown briefly; stir in 50 g of rice, and add salt only if the cabbage is not very salty.
3. Place 1 tablespoon of filling on each leaf, fold in the sides and roll it up tightly.
4. Line a large pot with the shredded cabbage, then pack the rolls in tight layers, slipping 200 g of smoked pork ribs and 150 g of smoked bacon, cut into pieces, between the layers; add 2 bay leaves and cover with a few leaves.
5. Pour in cold water just to cover, bring to a boil, then simmer very gently for 3 to 4 hours without stirring.
6. Make the zaprška: heat 150 g of lard, cook 1 tablespoon of flour in it until lightly golden, take off the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of paprika.
7. Pour the roux over the sarma, shake the pot gently and simmer 30 minutes more; serve hot, traditionally with proja (cornbread).

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