Lahanodolmades aka stuffed cabbage with Avgolemono sauce

Hi dolls,
Stuffed cabbage is internationally known.I am familiar to it from Germany,but the Greek version is one of my favorites.I think it is the sauce that does all the magic.
Lahanodolmades are pronounced :"La-ha-no-dhol-ma-dhes
You need:
A big head of white cabbage
500 gr minced lamb or beef
1/2 finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
pepper salt
50 gr boiled rice
a dash of cumin and cinnamon
water


For the sauce:
1 egg 1 egg white
the juice of 1 1/2 lemons
pepper salt
4 tablespoons olive oil

Cut the root of the cabbage and clean off any dirt. Take off the hard outside leaves,but don't throw them away.
In a very large pot bring 2 liters of water to a boil,once it boils switch off the stove,but don't remove the pot.Add the whole cabbage and leave it for 10 minutes.
Let the cabbage cool so you will be able to touch it
Try to peel off the leaves and try not to tear them.I always carve out the hard stem part of the cabbage to reduce the danger of teared leaves.
In a frying pan,quickly saute the minced,onion,parsley and rice and don't forget to season.Saute for 3 minutes.


Now take one cabbage leaf into the palm of your hands and take about 1 teaspoon of the stuffing and place it on the cabbage leaf.By carefully folding the cabbage leaf,create a little parcel.
I usually first fold the sides,then I roll it.
This is a bit time consuming,especially the first time,but once you get it right you will need 10 seconds for each parcel.


Grease a pot with some olive oil and add the hard outside leaves of the cabbage on the bottom.This step will prevent your Lahanodolmades from burning on the bottom of the pan.Even some cabbage left overs can be used.Sometimes I place whole carrots on the bottom,if I don't have enough leaves.

Carefully add the little parcels on top of the cabbage leaves and stack them into layers if necessary.
Almost cover them with water and add a generous drizzle of olive oil
Take a plate that fits into your pot and place it on top of the lahanodolmades.
Bring to a boil,reduce the heat dramatically until you reach a simmer.
Cook for 30-45 minutes with a closed lid.Remove from heat.

Now it's time to prepare the sauce:
Take a few tablespoons of the 'juices' from the pot and let them cool for 2 minutes.
Now beat the eggs until foamy and gradually add the lemon and the juices.

Remove the plate from your pot and slowly add the sauce,while slightly shaking the pot.
You don't want to stir,because this would break your little babies.So just shake the pot from left to right.
Let the lahanodolmades absorb the sauce for 5-10 minutes and serve.


I enjoyed mine with some pan fried potatoes (boiled potato leftovers cut into slices,fried in olive oil) and a tiny bit of salad.




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