Instructions: * The pork should either be minced (ground) coarsely or better, cut into small (1 cm) cubes.
** The bacon should ideally not be a sweet cure, but fairly heavily smoked, and cut quite thick.
*** Gyulai sausages are dry, smoked and made with a fair amount of paprika. best equivalent might be small sweet chorizo sausages.
**** Vegeta is a vegetable stock flavouring powder. If you cant get french style creme fraiche, use a mixture of 3 parts heavy cream and 1 part yoghurt.

This dish is cooked in four parts and then assembled.

Part 1. The cabbage.

Depending upon how sour the cabbage is, wash it more or less well.

Very sour cabbage that has been pickling all winter will need several washes in fresh water, freshly pickled sauerkraut wont need anything more than draining.

Cut the pork fat into small cubes and render them over gentle heat.

When beginning to take colour, add the caraway seed and the drained cabbage. Simmer 15-20 minutes or until softened. Leave aside.

Part 2 Rice.

Wash rice well and drain. Fry in a little oil until transparent.

Add the measured amount of water (equal volume to that of the rice), a little salt, and cook until water is absorbed and rice is parcooked. Leave aside.

Part 3 Meat.

Sweat chopped onions (first quantity) in oil. When transparent, add paprika, followed immediately by a little water. Over highish heat, add the meat, papper and salt or vegema. Stir, and cook fairly quickly partially covered, as for a p"rk"lt, (reducing the meat juices and then adding a little water as needed) until meat is just tender. Leave aside.

Part 4 Mushrooms. (or hard boiled egg).

If using mushrooms, clean and trim if needed, then slice them fairly thinly. Chop the second quantity of onion. Sweat onion and mushrooms lightly peppered in a little oil, until their juices have evaporated.

Leave aside.

If using eggs, hard boil them, shell and cool and slice. Set aside.

Assembly and Finishing.

Grease a large deep ovenproof dish. Layer the four components in 3 or 4 layers of each component, pouring sour cream over each layer, and starting and finishing with cabbage. Slice bacon and sausage fairly thinly, arrange over the last layer of cabbage. Bake in a moderate oven 350 F Mk 4 for 45 mins to an hour, covering with foil if the top starts to brown too much. Serve, with no accompaniments

(except wine or beer if wished).

The dish is even better when reheated the next day.

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