Bruno Loubet serves up a delightful speck-stuffed cabbage recipe, inspired by his journey to South Tyrol. The stuffing also includes sourdough, semolina and delicious Munster cheese, served with a grain mustard and Riesling sauce and apple compote.
To begin, melt 20g of butter in a pan and add the chopped onions. Cook gently, then slowly turn the heat higher until the onions reach a golden brown colour. Add the speck, stir to combine then set aside
Place the milk and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Whisk well then add the bread, semolina, cooked onions, speck and parsley. Mix well, add the cheese and mix well again. Press the mixture down, cover with cling film and place in the fridge
Cut the base of the cabbage to detach the leaves one by one. Finely shred the outer leaves, blanch in salted boiling water and refresh in iced water. Squeeze out any excess water then add to the stuffing and mix well
Blanch the remaining cabbage leaves in boiling salted water for 30 seconds or until just tender, then drain and pat dry. Lay the cabbage leaves on a work surface. Place some stuffing onto 3 of the leaves, then rebuild the cabbage using the remaining leaves (to leave you with 3 rebuilt cabbages in total). Wrap the finished cabbages in a muslin cloth, tie tightly with a string then steam for 30 minutes
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To make the apple sauce, peel and core the apples. Cut into small pieces then place in a saucepan with 4 tablespoons of water. Cover with a lid and place over a medium heat to break the apple down, mixing every 2 minutes for approximately 10 minutes. Whisk to make a smooth apple sauce
To make the sauce, heat the Riesling wine in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the egg yolks and immediately whisk vigorously for 30 seconds. Place on the hob over the lowest heat, continuing to whisk to make a sabayon. Do not heat too much, take off the heat if necessary
When the mix reaches soft peaks and is fluffy and light, slowly pour in the clarified butter, continuing to whisk until all of the butter has been used. Whisk in the grain mustard and some finely sliced chives and taste for seasoning
After stints at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Le Petit Blanc and The Four Seasons Inn on the Park, Bruno Loubet quickly set about making a name for himself as a chef and restaurateur.
