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Sorrel Sarma
Sorrel Sarma is a traditional Macedonian recipe for a classic dish of sorrel leaves stuffed with a mix of minced meat, rice, onions and brined cabbage that are packed into a casserole and cooked with stock or cabbage brine. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Macedonian version of: Sorrel Sarma.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
120 minutes
Total Time:
140 minutes
Serves:
6—8
Rating: 
Tags : Spice RecipesPork RecipesBeef RecipesLamb RecipesVegetable RecipesNorth-macedonia Recipes
Versions of this dish come from all over the Balkans, but this particular version derives from Macedonia.
Ingredients:
1/2 colander full of sorrel (
Rumex acetosa) leaves
1/2 large head of
brined cabbage (or equivalent of sauerkraut)
1kg minced meat (typically game, but you could use pork, lamb, beef, goat or any other meat)
300g long-gain rice
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp ground paprika
sunflower oil
1 tsp
vegeta seasoning substitute
water, brine from the cabbage or
vegetable stock
1 tbsp
anchovy essence or Worcestershire sauce
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add the onions and fry for about 2 minutes, or until just softened. Add the meat and fry, stirring frequently, until the meat is cooked through and well browned. Stir in the rice at this point and add a little water, cabbage brine or vegetable soup. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 6 minutes, or until the rice is half done (top-up with liquid as the mixture cooks, you are aiming for a mixture that is dry and not gloopy) then stir in the Vegeta substitute.
Take the sorrel leaves, wash and pat dry then cut off the stem. Add about 1/2 tsp of the rice and meat mix near the top of the sorrel leaf and fold the leaf over the filling. Tuck in the sides then keep rolling the leaf towards the stem end, so that you have a neat parcel.
Set these aside, seam side down, as you fill more sorrel leaves. When you have used up the filling mix, take the cabbage leaves and shred them finely. Take a casserole dish and add a layer of the sarmas, packing them in tightly. Cover with a layer of shredded cabbage leaves then continue this layering process, finishing with a final layer of shredded cabbage leaves.
Season to taste with salt and black pepper then pour in about 300ml of vegetable stock. Cover the pot tightly, place in an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for about 2 hours. At the end of this time, add 80ml vegetable oil to a frying pan. Scatter the flour and paprika over the top and stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes, or until the flour is golden then pour the mixture into the sarma. Place on the hob, bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Serve hot.
