Wirsing with Pea Porridge

Ingredients

• 50 g pearl barley
• 0.125 l vegetable broth
• 150 g peas (frozen, 0.5 kg)
• 1 head of savoy cabbage (ca. 1 kg)
• Salt
• 300 g tomatoes
• 200 g onions
• 1 Garlic clove
• 1 small sprig of thyme
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 egg
• 150 g freshly grated Emmental cheese
• Cayenne pepper
• 600 g small potatoes
• 1 small kohlrabi
• 200 g Sour Cream
• 100 g Sour cream
• freshly ground white pepper

Instructions

1. 1.

   Rinse pearl barley in a sieve under running cold water until the runoff is clear.

2. 2.

   Add pearl barley and broth to a pot and bring to a boil once.

3. 3.

   Cover and simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes.

4. 4.

   Turn off the stove, stir frozen peas into the barley, and let them thaw in the covered pot.

5. 5.

   While the barley cooks, prepare the cabbage.

6. 6.

   Bring plenty of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Remove outer wilted leaves from the cabbage and place it in the boiling water.

7. 7.

   Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 12 minutes until the cabbage can be pierced with a sharp knife.

8. 8.

   Drain the cabbage, reserve the cooking liquid. Let the cabbage cool slightly, then cut off the upper quarter of the head horizontally. Place the cabbage in an open dish with high edges. Carefully cut out the inner leaves with a sharp knife so that a shell about 5 cm thick remains.

9. 9.

   For the filling finely chop the lid and the removed leaves of the cabbage. Boil two tomatoes, peel, deseed, and dice them. Peel and finely chop one onion and the garlic.

10. 10.

    Wash herbs and finely chop them. Mix all ingredients with egg, pearl barley, and cheese. Season the filling strongly with salt and cayenne pepper.

11. 11.

    Press the filling into the cabbage shell and press it firmly in place.

12. 12.

    Distribute remaining filling around the cabbage. Add 4 tablespoons of cabbage broth.

13. 13.

    Place the dish on the lowest rack of a cold oven.

14. 14.

    Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Bake the cabbage for about 35 minutes until tender.

15. 15.

    Meanwhile, wash potatoes and boil them with 1/8 l cabbage broth in a pot; cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes until soft.

16. 16.

    For the vegetable sauce cut off kohlrabi leaves, wash and finely chop them. Peel and grate the bulbs, dice remaining tomatoes, peel and chop onions.

17. 17.

    Combine everything with crème fraîche and sour cream. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

18. 18.

    To serve, slice the cabbage like a cake into pieces and arrange on preheated plates.

19. 19.

    Serve with boiled potatoes and the sauce.