Poulet Vert, Frugal Foodie III

I love Winter. Cold days and nights, rain, green leafy vegetables at the Farmer’s Market… Perfect time for making Poulet Vert, the green chicken of Gascony. Poulet Vert is a stuffed cabbage and at heart a peasant’s dish, a dish of necessity and lean times. The ingredients are all basic staples but when combined create a delightfully hearty and satisfying dish. A perfect comforting meal to share with friends on a cold Winter night.

Poulet Vert

1. One Savoy cabbage
2. One medium yellow onion
3. Two cloves of garlic
4. Three stalks of celery, with leaves
5. Two tablespoons butter
6. Two leeks
7. Three carrots
8. 1/2 pound of mild pork sausage, casing removed
9. 1 1/2 cups stale bread, in small cubes
10. Sage, thyme, and parsely

• Place whole cabbage in a pot and cover with water 3/4 of the way
• Cook for 20 minutes
• Meanwhile in saute pan, slowly cook finely diced onion in the butter. When translucent add chopped garlic and cook for a few minutes.  Wash and trim the celery and one carrot. Celery should be finely sliced and carrot cut into small cubes.
• When vegetables are cooked, add the sausage, chopped herbs, and stale bread. Cook thoroughly and set aside to cool.
• When cabbage is cooked, gently remove from pot, making sure to drain broth from cabbage to pot. Set aside to cool.
• Wash and trim the leeks and remaining two carrots. Both can be sliced. Add to broth with a teaspoon of salt.
• When cabbage is cool enough to handle, gently separate the leaves from the top until you get to the heart. Remove the heart, this will create the cavity for your stuffing.
• Place cook stuffing in a bowl, add a teaspoon of salt, and bind with one egg. Mix thoroughly.
• When stuffing is ready, spoon into the cabbage.
• Gently place the stuffed cabbage into the broth and cook for 25 minutes.
• When ready, turn of the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
• Carefully slide out cabbage into a large serving bowl and pour broth over it.
• Cut in four and spoon into dishes.

Enjoy.