Farcellets de col are traditional stuffed cabbage rolls—comforting, hearty, and common in Catalan and broader Mediterranean cooking.
🥬 Farcellets de Col (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)
🧾 Ingredients
- Cabbage – 1 large head (outer leaves used)
- 300–500 g minced meat (beef, pork, or mix)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cooked rice (optional but common)
- 1 egg (to bind, optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Olive oil
- Paprika or mixed herbs (optional)
🍅 Optional tomato sauce
- Crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
- Olive oil
- Garlic and onion
- Salt, sugar pinch
👨🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare the cabbage
- Carefully separate cabbage leaves.
- Blanch them in boiling salted water for 2–3 minutes until soft.
- Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Make the filling
- Mix minced meat, onion, garlic, cooked rice, egg, salt, pepper, and spices in a bowl.
- Combine well until slightly sticky.
3. Assemble the rolls
- Place a spoonful of filling on each cabbage leaf.
- Fold sides inward, then roll tightly like a small parcel.
4. Cook
Option A: Stovetop
- Place rolls in a pot.
- Add a little water or tomato sauce.
- Cover and simmer 30–40 minutes.
Option B: Oven
- Place in baking dish with tomato sauce.
- Bake at 180°C for ~40 minutes.
💡 Tips
- Smaller leaves make neater rolls.
- Let them rest 10 minutes before serving so they hold shape better.
- They taste even better the next day.
If you want, I can also show you a Catalan traditional version with pine nuts and raisins or a vegetarian farcellets de col.
