This recipe is a Croatian celebration dish, shared by Malfalda Zubovic, aka Draga (a childhood nickname meaning dearest).

Note that Draga has this recipe committed to memory and does not work with precise measurements. (You can read more about Draga and Croatian cooking here.)

Makes 18 to 20 rolls.

Ingredients

• 1kg pork and veal mince
• 5 small handfuls uncooked white long-grain rice and equal quantity of water
• 1 egg
• 1 fermented cabbage*
• 1kg smoked pork or bacon on the bone in a large pot with small or broken leaves (nothing goes to waste)

Method

Mix the mince, rice, water and egg with hands in a large bowl. The mixture should be wet.

Wash the fermented cabbage enough to rinse off the salt but not so much that it becomes bland. The stuffing does not need salt as the fermented cabbage is quite salty. Separate the leaves, being careful to keep the leaves intact. Smaller leaves and scraps do not go to waste. They can be added to the pot.

Take a large handful of mince mixture and roll it in the cabbage leaves, wrapping like a parcel to ensure stuffing doesn’t escape.

Place most of the pork bones into a very large stock pot. Place rolls on top in layers. Add some more bones to the top.

Prepare the thickener (gravy) by heating ¼ cup vegetable oil. When hot add ¼ cup flour, stir and cook until thick and golden. Remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika. Add to pot on top of rolls.

Cover the contents of the pot with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer covered for 2½-3 hours.

Serve one or two cabbage rolls with some of the bones and polenta, mashed or jacket potatoes.

*You can buy the whole fermented cabbage from Pedro’s Smallgoods in Swan St, Wollongong, or Rosa Dora Annabella continental deli in Warrawong. Or substitute fresh (blanched) cabbage leaves for the fermented cabbage (not traditional or as tasty).