12cabbage leaveslarge and unblemished 1 pound ground elk meat
3/4cupcooked brown rice
1/2cupfinely chopped onion
2garlic clovesminced
2tablespoonschopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1egg
2teaspoonskosher salt
1teaspoonpepper
1/2cupcream
2tablespoonsMarsala
1tablespoontomato paste
18-ounce can tomato sauce
114.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, unstrained
2garlic clovessmashed
1tablespoonsugar
2tablespoonswhite wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/2cupwater
Instructions
Bring a pot of water as salty as the sea to a rolling boil. Drop the cabbage leaves into the water, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain well and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the elk, rice, onion, garlic, parsley, egg, salt, pepper, cream, Marsala, and tomato paste, and mix well.
Lay out the cabbage leaves on a cutting board or clean surface and place a twelfth of the elk mixture into the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold the top and bottom edges toward each other, then roll the outer leaves around the filling and fasten with toothpick. Place the rolls in a baking dish and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan, combine the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, garlic, and 1/2 cup of water and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes, until well blended. Pour over the cabbage rolls.
Bake, covered, for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully remove the toothpicks.