Kotlety with Cabbage

• On my last trip to Poland my  cousin in Białystok suggested this variation on kotlety mielone – minced meat burgers.
• The idea is to add shredded white cabbage to the minced meat mix.
• I used the following  amounts by weight:
• 2 parts minced meat : 1 part cabbage – you can go up to equal weights of each.

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince
• 250g white cabbage
• 1 onion – chopped fine
• 3  tablespoons semolina*
• 2 eggs
• Dried breadcrumbs
• Salt  and pepper
• * I used semolina instead of my usual white bread soaked in milk – I was pleased with this as an alternative.
• Sunflower oil  for frying

Method

• Chop the onion fine and fry in a little hot oil till lightly browned then leave till cold.
• Cut the cabbage into fine shreds and then across so you have small squarish pieces.
• In a large bowl mix the minced meat and cabbage till they are evenly mix.
• Add the fried onions and mix again.
• Add the eggs and mix.
• Add the semolina, salt and pepper and mix until you get a uniform mixture.

Try to make each one the same size, take a handful of the mixture and press it between your hands to make a flattened circle and then place this in the dried breadcrumbs and turn it over to cover both sides and edges.

• Once coated place them on a tray dusted with breadcrumbs until you have used all the mixture up.
• Shallow fry the kotlety in hot oil, depending on the frying pan size,  you can do 3 to 4 at a time, turning them over so that both sides are done. Place them on kitchen roll on a plate or metal tray till they are all cooked –  you can keep them warm in a low oven.

• I had found I like these more when they have been in the oven for a while after frying – evenly cooked through.
• These can be served in many ways, with boiled or mashed potatoes or rice and a variety of salads.

Served  here with steamed & buttered new potatoes and carrot & apple salad – on

Royal Doulton – Carnation – 1982 – 1998.

Version 2 – using Cooked Cabbage

Whilst doing some research on this recipe,  I found that some cooks used cooked cabbage rather than raw.

Ingredients

As above but this time with 400g – 500g of uncooked white cabbage  (around the same weight as the minced meat).

Method

• Chop the cabbage into large pieces and steam it till cooked.
• Dry the cabbage with a clean tea towel to get rid of as much water as possible.
• Chop the cabbage into very fine pieces.
• Proceed as in the method above.

Note

For both versions, should you have any left,  you can reheat them in sauce made with chicken or vegetable stock.