CraigC
Guru
This is a take on cabbage rolls, using collard greens as the wrapper, dirty rice or jambalaya as the stuffing and spicy Creole sauce. This recipe is using dirty rice. The recipes for the dirty rice and sauce are based upon those in Paul Prudhomme's (RIP) "Louisiana Kitchen" cookbook. If you can't get fresh collard green, cabbage is fine.
Dirty rice
Seasoning Ingredients
2 tsp cayenne (less if you don't like pretty spicy food)
1-1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp black pepper
1-1/4 sweet paprika
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
Ingredients
2 Tbsp chicken fat or vegetable oil
1 pound ground pork
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups chicken or pork stock
1 pound chicken livers, cleaned well and chopped fairly finely
1 cup uncooked converted rice
Directions
1) Mix the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2) In a large saucepan over high heat, cook the chicken fat, pork and bay leaves until the pork is well browned, stirring occasionally.
3) Add in the seasoning mix and stir.
4) Add the celery, onion, green bell peppers, and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan thoroughly.
5) Add in the butter and stir until melted.
6) Reduce heat to medium and cook about 6 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan.
7) Add the garlic and cook about 2 minutes more.
8) Pour in the stock, turn heat up to medium high, and stir until anything stuck to the bottom comes loose, then cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9) Add in the chicken livers and cook for 2 minutes, then add in the rice, cover pan, turn heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes.
10) Remove from heat and leave covered for at least 10 minutes to allow rice and chicken livers to finish cooking.
11) Remove bay leaves and serve.
Creole Sauce
Seasoning Ingredients
2 bay leaves
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
Ingredients
4 Tbsp butter
1 14-1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, drained (if using for cabbage/collard rolls reserve liquid)
3/4 cup chopped onions
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green bell
1-1/2 tsp minced garlic
1-1/4 cups chicken stock (more if making sauce for rolls)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Tabasco or Crystal
Directions
1) Mix the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.
2) In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
3) Stir in the onions, celery, green bell and cook for 4 minutes.
4) Add the seasoning mix, diced tomatoes and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes or until onion is transparent, stirring often.
5) Stir in the stock, tomato sauce, sugar, and hot sauce. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until flavors are married.
6) Remove bay leaves, stir and serve.
For the rolls, the sauce must be thinned with the reserved tomato liquid and either liquefied in a blender or with an immersion blender.
Collard Rolls
Ingredients
1 Bunch collard greens or large head white cabbage
Dirty Rice
Creole sauce
Directions
Heat oven to 375F.
1) Remove stems from collards.
2) Blanch collards or freeze them over night. If blanched, they must be placed in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. If you use cabbage, throw the head in the freezer over night. Allow the head to defrost completely before pulling individual leaves off.
3) Use your judgement when filling the rolls. The larger leaves will hold more filling.
4) Line the bottom of a baking dish with unused leaves.
5) Place rolls in baking dish.
6) Cover the rolls with sauce.
7) Cover dish with foil and place in oven.
8) Cook 45 minutes or until the greens are soft.
9) Remove foil and serve with remaining sauce if desired.
Dirty rice
Seasoning Ingredients
2 tsp cayenne (less if you don't like pretty spicy food)
1-1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp black pepper
1-1/4 sweet paprika
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
Ingredients
2 Tbsp chicken fat or vegetable oil
1 pound ground pork
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups chicken or pork stock
1 pound chicken livers, cleaned well and chopped fairly finely
1 cup uncooked converted rice
Directions
1) Mix the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2) In a large saucepan over high heat, cook the chicken fat, pork and bay leaves until the pork is well browned, stirring occasionally.
3) Add in the seasoning mix and stir.
4) Add the celery, onion, green bell peppers, and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan thoroughly.
5) Add in the butter and stir until melted.
6) Reduce heat to medium and cook about 6 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan.
7) Add the garlic and cook about 2 minutes more.
8) Pour in the stock, turn heat up to medium high, and stir until anything stuck to the bottom comes loose, then cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9) Add in the chicken livers and cook for 2 minutes, then add in the rice, cover pan, turn heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes.
10) Remove from heat and leave covered for at least 10 minutes to allow rice and chicken livers to finish cooking.
11) Remove bay leaves and serve.
Creole Sauce
Seasoning Ingredients
2 bay leaves
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
Ingredients
4 Tbsp butter
1 14-1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, drained (if using for cabbage/collard rolls reserve liquid)
3/4 cup chopped onions
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green bell
1-1/2 tsp minced garlic
1-1/4 cups chicken stock (more if making sauce for rolls)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Tabasco or Crystal
Directions
1) Mix the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.
2) In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
3) Stir in the onions, celery, green bell and cook for 4 minutes.
4) Add the seasoning mix, diced tomatoes and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes or until onion is transparent, stirring often.
5) Stir in the stock, tomato sauce, sugar, and hot sauce. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until flavors are married.
6) Remove bay leaves, stir and serve.
For the rolls, the sauce must be thinned with the reserved tomato liquid and either liquefied in a blender or with an immersion blender.
Collard Rolls
Ingredients
1 Bunch collard greens or large head white cabbage
Dirty Rice
Creole sauce
Directions
Heat oven to 375F.
1) Remove stems from collards.
2) Blanch collards or freeze them over night. If blanched, they must be placed in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. If you use cabbage, throw the head in the freezer over night. Allow the head to defrost completely before pulling individual leaves off.
3) Use your judgement when filling the rolls. The larger leaves will hold more filling.
4) Line the bottom of a baking dish with unused leaves.
5) Place rolls in baking dish.
6) Cover the rolls with sauce.
7) Cover dish with foil and place in oven.
8) Cook 45 minutes or until the greens are soft.
9) Remove foil and serve with remaining sauce if desired.
