Simple Shad Roe Kåldomar (Swedish Cabbage Rolls)

water

salt

1 head cabbage

½ shad roe (1 lobe)

filtered water

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

½ cup milk

½ pound ground meat

½ teaspoon salt

pinch of white pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon oil

½ teaspoon light molasses

2 tablespoons butter, melted

½ lemon, cut into wedges

1. Remove outer leaves of cabbage.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add cabbage head.  Boil until leaves are wilted and pliable.  Remove head from water and peel off leaves.  Let drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water.
2. Place roe in a pan and cover with a mixture of filtered water, sea salt, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 10 minutes. Place roe in a colander and rinse with cold water. Using a sharp knife, peel off as much of the membrane as you can and cut out the vein. Thinly slice roe.
3. Let breadcrumbs soak up the milk; add ground meat, salt, and pepper, and mix well.  On each leaf, place roe slice, sprinkle with paprika, and top with about ½ tablespoon of meat mixture.  Fold sides over and roll up the leaf; secure with one or two toothpicks, or wind with ordinary sewing thread to hold it all together.
4. Heat up oil and brown the rolls in batches.  Move them to a baking dish and when all are browned, add the molasses, butter, and reserved cooking water to the frying pan; stir in all bits.  Pour the liquid over the rolls and broil until golden, turn, and broil other side.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Liver Kalsoppa (Swedish Cabbage Soup) with Red Wine, Bacon, and Onions

    ½ head of cabbage

    1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

    ½ cup milk

    ½ pound ground meat

    1 teaspoon salt, divided

    pinch of white pepper

    1½ tablespoons flour

    ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    ½ pound calves’ liver, thinly sliced

    2 yellow onions

    Coconut oil for frying

    5 slices bacon

    ½ teaspoon molasses

    ½ quart beef stock

    ½ cup red wine

    1½ cups water

    beef or neck bone (optional)

    1 ½ tablespoons tomato sauce

1. Cut cabbage into pieces about 2 inches square.  Soak breadcrumbs in milk and mix well with ground meat, ½ teaspoon salt, and white pepper.
2. Mix flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and black pepper and turn the thin slices of liver in the flour mixture.
3. In large pot, slice the onions and sauté them in oil until transparent and slightly browned. Remove the onions to a plate and try to keep them warm. Fry the bacon in remaining oil until just crisp and remove them from the pan and try to keep them warm.  Add cabbage and liver slices to remaining bacon fat and oil; brown until cabbage is slightly wilted.  Stir in molasses, add stock, wine, remaining salt, and water.  If desired, a beef or neck bone can be added.  Let soup simmer for about 10 minutes.  Shape ground meat mixture into small meatballs and drop them into the soup with onions, bacon, and tomato sauce.  Continue to simmer until meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.