Involtini di verza con merluzzo e patate

Cabbage Rolls Stuffed with Cod and Potato

Gingerly remove the cabbage leaves from the head, taking care not to rip them.
Thrown the leaves into a large pot of well salted boiling water. Boil them in well salted water until tender but not falling apart, perhaps about 2-3 minutes.
Drain and let cool in a colander.

Boil or steam the potatoes still in their skins (aka jackets) until tender. Let them cool and, when they are cool enough to handle, peel them. Cut them into wedges and pass them through a food mill or potato ricer into a mixing bowl. Let cool completely.
Mince the cod fillets with a meat grinder, food processor or a sharp knife
Add the other stuffing ingredients and mix well with a spatula until you have a smooth, uniform mixture.
Fold in the diced mozzarella or scamorza if using.

Now take a cabbage leaf, open it up inside up. Cut out the base of the central rib. Place a good dollop of filling on the leaf, then fold the sides inwards on top of the filling, then starting at the base roll the leaf up to form a tidy package.
Repeat until you've stuffed and rolled all the cabbage leaves.
Place the rolls in a baking dish in which they can fit snugly together.
Melt the butter with the garlic and sage over gentle heat. Let them simmer together very slowly for a few minutes so the butter is infused with the aromatics. Take care that the butter doesn't brown at all.
Spoon the melted butter over the rolls. Then top with a generous dusting of grated cheese.
Bake the rolls in a hot (200C/400F) oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they are cooked through and golden brown on top. If need be, you can run them briefly under the broiler to brown.
Serve your involtini di verza while still warm but not scalding hot.