Lazy Cabbage Rolls in Sour Cream Sauce are a true gem for those who appreciate cozy home cooking but are not ready to spend hours meticulously wrapping filling into cabbage leaves. Unlike the classic version, all the ingredients are combined into juicy patties that soak up a delicate creamy aroma while simmering. The secret to their exceptional tenderness lies in adding a bit of fat to the chicken breast and ice water to the mixture. This dish fills the kitchen with the inviting scent of fresh dill and spices, reminiscent of traditional Sunday family dinners.
Appetizing lazy cabbage rolls simmered in a delicate sour cream and herb sauce make for a perfect, hearty family dinner.
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken breast
- 40 g pork fat
- 150 g cooked rice
- 100 g white cabbage
- Fresh dill
- Paprika, salt, chicken seasoning
- Cooking oil for pan-frying
Sauce ingredients
- 150 g smetana (sour cream)
- 400 ml chicken broth or water
- 10 g all-purpose flour
- Fresh dill
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Remove the chicken meat from the bone and peel the skin off the breast. To make the minced chicken breast tender and juicy, you need to add fat. This recipe uses pork fat, but you can substitute it with rendered chicken fat.
For a juicy chicken mixture, make sure to add some pork fat or rendered chicken fat.
Dice the chicken breast and pork fat into small cubes.
Dice the chicken and fat into small pieces to make grinding easier.
Pass the meat and fat through a meat grinder fitted with a fine plate. I highly recommend adding about half a cup of ice water to the ground meat and kneading it well. This won’t dilute the flavor; it will significantly improve the texture.
Pass the meat through a fine grinder plate and fold in a little ice water for tenderness.
Finely shred the cabbage into narrow strips or grate it using a large box grater. Add the prepped cabbage to the chicken mixture.
Finely shredded cabbage is the main vegetable ingredient in our lazy cabbage rolls.
Boil long-grain white rice until fully or partially cooked. You can easily use leftover cooked rice, even milk-boiled rice porridge, as long as it isn’t sweet.
Use long-grain rice, either fully cooked or parboiled.
Finely chop the fresh dill. Add two tablespoons of the chopped herbs to the mixing bowl.
Fresh dill gives the dish an unmistakable aroma and a vibrant taste.
Season with salt to taste. Add half a teaspoon each of sweet ground paprika and dry chicken seasoning.
Paprika and chicken seasoning add vibrant flavor and color to the finished dish.
Thoroughly knead the mixture. If it feels too dry, try folding in half a cup of cold chicken broth or ice water.
Knead the mixture thoroughly until smooth, adding a splash of broth if necessary.
Lightly coat your hands with cooking oil. Divide the mixture into 5-6 equal portions. Shape them into neat, oval lazy cabbage rolls.
Shape neat, oval cabbage rolls of equal size to ensure even cooking.
Pour a splash of refined cooking oil into a skillet. Carefully place the shaped rolls into the heated oil. Sear over moderate heat for 4-5 minutes on each side until a beautiful golden-brown crust forms.
Sear the shaped rolls until a beautiful golden crust develops on both sides.
Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce. Place all-purpose flour into a deep bowl, gradually pour in cold chicken broth, and whisk to prevent lumps. Stir in the smetana (sour cream).
The base of the sauce consists of flour, chicken broth, and thick sour cream.
Finely chop more fresh dill. Add a tablespoon of the herbs to the bowl, whisk the sauce, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Whisk the sauce thoroughly to eliminate lumps and fold in the fresh herbs.
Pour the sauce into the skillet over the browned cabbage rolls. Cover with a lid and simmer gently over low heat for 20 minutes. There is no need to stir; if the sauce reduces too much and seems too thick, just splash in a little boiling water or hot chicken broth.
Pour the prepared sauce over the browned cabbage rolls before simmering.
You can also finish these lazy cabbage rolls in the oven. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Cover the oven-safe skillet with aluminum foil or parchment paper, place it in the hot oven, and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Gently simmer the dish over low heat under a lid so the rolls absorb the sauce and become tender.
Serve the lazy cabbage rolls in shallow bowls, generously spooning over the rich gravy they simmered in. The dish is satisfying on its own, but if you want to add some freshness, pair it with a seasonal vegetable salad or a slice of toasted Borodinsky bread (traditional dark Russian sourdough rye). Leftovers keep perfectly in the fridge for two days: upon reheating, the sauce becomes even thicker, and the rolls absorb the spices even better. If you love to experiment, try swapping some of the white cabbage for Savoy cabbage for a finer texture, or add a touch of tomato paste to the sauce for a zesty tang. Remember that baking in the oven under foil yields a firmer texture, while simmering on the stovetop preserves maximum tenderness. This versatile base recipe easily adapts to your family's tastes while remaining hearty and comforting.
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