Tip: Another American way to make this dish is to make a sauce of 3/4 cup ketchup , 1 1/2 to 2 cups tomato juice, 3/4 cup brown sugar, the juice of 1 large lemon, and sour salt to taste. Make this dish ahead. It tastes much better the next day. Also, this is a good recipe to double. Freeze one portion for unexpected guests.
Yield: at least 15 stuffed cabbages or 6 to 8 servings
Mix the cranberry sauce, tomato sauce, 1 cup water, lemon, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; then add the raisins and the fresh cranberries. Peel, core, and dice the apple and add. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
Core the cabbage and place in a large pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until wilted. Cover with cold water and drain. (Alternately, you can place the cored cabbage in the freezer for several days. Defrost 24 hours before making the cabbage. It will wilt naturally.)
In a large bowl mix the meat, rice, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, egg, onion, 1/2 cup water, and ketchup, blending with your fingers until well mixed.
Trim the ribs off the cabbage, remove the outside leaves, and line a large flameproof casserole with them. Pull off the inside leaves and place them one by one on a board, outside down. Fill with a heaping tablespoon or two of the filling, depending on the size of the leaf. Fold up like an envelope, top first, then bottom and then the 2 sides. Place seam side down in the lined casserole. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage and the filling.
Pour the sauce over the stuffed cabbage and simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Then place the stuffed cabbage in a preheated 300-degree oven and bake, uncovered, for one half hour more.
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