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Mahshi

Servings:
Serves 4 people. Preparation time: 45 minutes. Total time from start to finish: about 1 1/2 hours. Servings
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Ingredients

  • 2 head savoy cabbage
  • 1/2 head medium yellow onion
  • 5 head to 6 sprigs flat leaf italian parsley
  • 1 pound ground lamb (if unavailable, substitute beef)
  • 1/2 cup italian rice for risotto (carnaroli, vialone nano or arborio)
  • 2 cup medium garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

Preparation

Baking Directions:

1.

Place a pot with about 4 quarts water over high heat.

Cover and bring to a boil.

2.

Carefully remove the cabbage leaves, taking care not to break them.

Stop once the leaves become smaller than about 4 inches wide.

You should end up with about 2 dozen leaves.

3.

When the water is boiling, add 1 tablespoon salt and put the leaves in.

Cook until just tender, about 8 minutes.

Lift them out of the water and lay them on a platter to cool.

4.

While the cabbage is cooking and cooling, prepare the meat and rice filling.

Peel and finely chop the onion.

Finely chop enough parsley to measure about 2 tablespoons.

Put the ground meat, rice, onions, and parsley in a mixing bowl.

Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly with your hands.

5.

When the cabbage leaves are cool enough to handle, cut away the portion of the rib that is wider than 1/4 inch.

Lay a cabbage leaf flat, take a ball of the filling that is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, roll in between your palms to form a little sausage, and place it on the cabbage leaf.

Roll the leaf with the filling inside, folding in the edges as you go along.

Gently squeeze out any excess moisture and place the roll in a 12-inch skillet.

Continue until you have used up all the filling, or all the leaves.

The rolls can be quite snug and even overlap a bit.

If you have filling left over you can crumble it and add it to the pan.

Peel and coarsely chop the garlic and add it to the pan along with the butter, olive oil, and lemon juice.

Add enough water to come 1/4 inch up the sides, place over medium high heat and cover the pan.

Once the liquid in the pan begins to bubble, lower the heat to medium low and cook for 40 minutes.

Check the mahshi periodically but do not turn them.

If all the liquid has evaporated before they are done, add a little more water.

In the end there should be very little liquid left.

If there is too much, remove the cover and raise the heat until it has evaporated.

Serve hot.