Green cabbage is the plain-jane librarian of the produce aisle. Nobody gives her a second glance - until she takes off her glasses and lets down her hair, then…wow! Suddenly, she’s hot! Try this dish and you’ll start looking at cabbage very differently…

The flavors of the savory pork & shrimp filling in these treats is echoed in the rice because you use the cooking stock to make the Zesty Lemon Rice. And the buttery, lobster-flavored shrimp sauce on top of it all is so good it should be classified as a controlled substance!

For the best results, buy the best quality lobster base you can find, one that contains lobster, butter, sea salt, and little else.

Here’s a photo of the Pork and Shrimp Cabbage Rolls With Butter Poached Shrimp below.

Ingredients:

For the Rolls:

1 head green cabbage
1 lb lean ground pork
1 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and coarsely chopped (divided in half)
(watch our video which shows how to easily peel, process, and devein shrimp)
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 tsp seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay)
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 finely minced scallion
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 ½ cups water
1 ½ Tbsp lobster base

For the Shrimp Sauce:

4 Tbsp butter
1 tsp lobster base

For the Rice:

1 1/2 cups medium grain rice
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp finely minced parsley

PREPARATION:

Separate the cabbage into leaves (you’ll need about 15 or so; don’t worry if they tear) and steam them for about 10 minutes in a deep, lidded pot with just enough water to cover the bottom. You want them to be soft enough to bend easily.

While the cabbage is steaming, mix together the pork, half of the chopped shrimp, and the next 9 ingredients (from the beaten egg through the bread crumbs) and cook a small piece of the filling to test for salt & seasoning. Adjust if necessary.

Take about 1/3 of a cabbage leaf (approximately palm-sized) and roll up a generous tablespoon of filling (don’t worry sealing up the sides, etc.; think open-ended cigars rather than packets. You want the flavors to mingle in the pot.)

Layer the rolls in the pot. Combine the water and the lobster base, and pour over the rolls. Bring just to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 - 20 minutes. Remove the rolls (reserving the cooking stock) and keep warm.

Strain the cooking stock and add enough additional water to equal 3 cups. Add the rice, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley, and bring just to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

Just before the rice is done, melt the butter and the lobster base in a small saucepan; gently poach the remaining chopped shrimp until just cooked. To serve, top the rice with the cabbage rolls, and spoon over some of the buttery shrimp.

Serves 4 (or two if you’re hungry/greedy like us!)

Enjoy!

You Can Read More of Doug’s Recipe Corner Here.

You can also see our list of delicious seafood recipes, organized by type of fish to make it easier for you to find culinary inspiration and ideas.

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