“Oh this is good! Classic and very French. I look on this dish as ‘’do whatever you feel “ with regards to the stuffing. Sometimes I use a mixture of offal and pork mince, but other times I use game mince and black pudding. Here, I’ve opted for Peelham Farm organic chorizo as the key flavour. Use up some store cupboard things like a spoon of mustard, a kick of a spice, or whatever herbs you may have in the fridge. Even horseradish would work if you find any scrapings in a jar in the fridge.”

Serves 2 
Prep time: 30 minutes; cooking time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

2 large outer leaves from a Savoy cabbage

150g minced pork belly, nice and fatty

1 large tablespoon Peelham Farm organic chorizo, small dice

1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard

1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Good salt and pepper

2 6-inch-square pieces of crepinette or pig’s caul, it’s the lining of the intestine and is used like a sausage skin, if you can’t get this don’t worry

1 tin good chopped tomatoes or passata

1 tablespoon tomato purée

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic

500ml beef stock

1 carrot

1 celery stick

1/2 small onion (for the stock)

A sprig of thyme

1 bay leaf

METHOD

Begin by blanching the cabbage leaves in salted, boiling water for 4 minutes. Then refresh in cold water. Set aside.

To make the stuffing, mix the mince and chorizo together in a bowl with the mustard, half the red onion, breadcrumbs, parsley and seasoning. Once mixed, form into 2 balls and wrap these in the crepinette ready for cooking.

Heat the oven to 200°C / Gas Mark 6

Place half the stock in an ovenproof pot with the onion half, thyme, bay leaf, carrot, garlic and celery. Then add the stuffing balls to the pot and bring to the boil on a moderate heat. Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 1 hour, or until just cooked. Remove the pot from the oven and set to one side to cool slightly. 

Make a rich tomato sauce by sweating the remaining red onion in the olive oil until just soft before adding the garlic. Stir, then add the tomato purée and remaining stock, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes before adding the chopped tomatoes or passata. Return to a high heat, stir, season and cook until the sauce is quite thick.

Remove the stuffing balls from the stock and wrap them in the blanched cabbage leaves and place back into the stock. Some people wrap the cabbage in cling film to keep it in place, but I like a rustic approach. Cook the stuffed cabbage in the stock, covered with a lid, for 20 minutes or so.  Remove and drain. Serve on a bed of the rich tomato sauce.