Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Blanch cabbage leaves to soften, about 2 minutes. Remove and cool immediately in ice bath. Lay cooled leaves out on clean kitchen towels and pat dry to remove moisture. Repeat blanching and cooling process with green onion tops.
2. Make the carrot and tomato sauce: Coat one of the heavy bottomed pots with olive oil followed by the sauce ingredients; onion, garlic, and Fresno chile. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, carrot juice, vegetable juice, salt and pepper. Cook until it’s richened up and reduced by about half, about 25-30 minutes.
3. Make the chorizo stuffing: Coat a preheated heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat with olive oil and crumble chorizo. Sauté for 8–10 minutes to brown the sausage, then add kale and Fresno chile and cook for another 10–12 minutes, until kale starts to soften. Stir in onions, garlic, and carrots and sauté for 3 minutes, then add rice and season generously with pepper and a little salt, if needed. Stir to combine, then spread out filling on a baking sheet to cool.
4. Assemble cabbage rolls: Lay out a dry cabbage leaf on a work surface and spoon 2–3 tablespoons chorizo filling into the center. Roll up leaf around filling as if you were making a burrito, tucking in both ends as you go. If leaf is not large enough to fully enclose filling, place cabbage roll on top of a second large leaf and roll to enclose the open ends. Or arrange 2–3 smaller cabbage leaves so they overlap to create a larger surface area, then roll them up around the filling.
5. Tie cabbage roll closed, by tightly wrap a long piece of green onion lengthwise around roll and secure with two overhand knots. Repeat with remaining chorizo filling, cabbage leaves, and scallion greens to make about 8 cabbage rolls total.
6. Cook cabbage rolls: Preheat a braiser (or any heavy-bottomed pan wide enough to fit all the cabbage rolls in a single layer) over medium heat. Coat cabbage rolls on both sides with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and arrange in the hot pan. Pour tomato sauce over rolls, cover pan, and cook for 15–20 minutes, until rolls are tender and heated through. Meanwhile, drizzle baguette slices with olive oil and toast them on a grill or in a broiler.
7. Plate cabbage rolls, spooning tomato sauce on top, and drizzle with a little nice olive oil and basil oil(if using). Garnish with hand-torn basil leaves, micro chives, and a sprinkling of fleur de sel. Serve grilled bread alongside.