Chou Farci Auvergnat

Ingredients

• 1 large Savoy cabbage, outer leaves kept whole and intact
• For the stuffing
• 400 g ground pork shoulder, not too lean
• 100 g stale bread, soaked in milk and squeezed dry
• 2 eggs
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• ¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
• For the braise
• 1 medium onion, diced, for the mirepoix
• 1 medium carrot, diced, for the mirepoix
• 2 sticks celery, diced, for the mirepoix
• 200 g petit salé or salt pork, cut into pieces
• 1 bouquet garni, bay, thyme, parsley stalks
• 1–1.5 litres stock or water, enough to cover the cabbage halfway
• Equipment
• 1 large square muslin or clean tea towel, for wrapping and tying
• 1 length kitchen string, sufficient to tie the cabbage into a tight sphere

Method

1. 1
   Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Submerge the whole Savoy cabbage for 5 minutes. Transfer immediately to a basin of cold water, then drain. Carefully detach the leaves one by one, working from the outermost inward, keeping each leaf as intact as possible. The leaves must be fully pliable; any leaf that resists without tearing has been sufficiently blanched — it bends without cracking.
2. 2
   Combine the ground pork shoulder, squeezed bread, eggs, minced garlic, and chopped parsley in a bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix until cohesive. The stuffing should hold its shape when pressed but remain loose enough to spread in a thin, even layer — neither paste nor crumble.
3. 3
   Lay the muslin or tea towel flat on the work surface. This is where the dish lives or dies: beginning with the largest outer leaves, arrange them curved-side down on the cloth, overlapping to form a continuous surface. Spread a thin, even layer of stuffing across the leaves — thin throughout, never thick masses. Place the next tier of leaves on top, spread stuffing again, and continue inward, working toward the small central leaves. When all leaves and stuffing are used, gather the cloth up firmly around the reassembled cabbage, shaping it into a tight sphere. Tie securely with string. The bundle must be unyielding; any looseness will cause the cabbage to collapse and the spiral to be lost during the long braise.
4. 4
   Place the mirepoix of onion, carrot, and celery in the base of a large, heavy pot. Nestle the pieces of petit salé among the vegetables and add the bouquet garni. Set the tied cabbage on top. Pour in stock or water to reach halfway up the cabbage. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, then cover and transfer to an oven set at 160 °C. Braise for 3 to 4 hours, basting the exposed upper surface occasionally. The dish is done when a knife slides through the cabbage without any resistance — not al dente, but meltingly tender throughout.
5. 5
   Lift the cabbage from the pot and rest it for 10 minutes. The braising broth, enriched by the petit salé and the mirepoix, may be served separately over bread as a first course. Cut the string and carefully remove the cloth. Transfer the cabbage to a warmed platter and slice in wedges as one would a cake. Each cut face should reveal a clean spiral of alternating green cabbage and pink-brown stuffing — the sign that the assembly and braise have succeeded.