Easy Eats: Honey Mustard Rissoles with Sweet-Sour Cabbage

Vege-packed rissoles with sweet and sour cabbage, mashed spuds and peas - the dream meal, says chef Sam Parish. Photo: Sam Parish

Serves 4 (with leftovers for another meal) / Prep Time: 20 minutes / Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Anything that involves making a mix and portioning it out, whether it’s meat patties, rissoles, flatbreads or dumplings, should always—where possible—be made in bulk to maximise your time in the kitchen. Future you will thank you for it!

This recipe makes a double batch of veggie-packed patties. Served with classic sweet and sour cabbage and good old mashed potatoes, this is a veg-loaded meal that can be easily slapped on the table mid-week. If you don't have or like venison mince, use all beef mince instead.

Ingredients

For the rissoles:

• 400g venison mince
• 400g beef mince
• 1 fennel bulb or 1 courgette, coarsely grated
• 2 carrots, coarsely grated
• 1 onion, coarsely grated
• 1 Tbsp each Dijon mustard, horseradish cream and HP sauce
• ½ bunch each dill and parsley
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups wholemeal breadcrumbs
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tsp each fine salt and cracked pepper

For the sweet and sour cabbage:

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• ¼ red cabbage, sliced
• 2 Tbsp currants or raisins
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp runny honey
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• A pinch of ground cloves
• 50g butter, chopped

To serve:

• Dill sprigs
• Boiled frozen peas
• Mashed potatoes

Method

Start by making the bulk rissole mix. Combine all ingredients well in a large bowl, kneading with hands to get everything well mixed together.

Divide into 12 portions and shape into thick rissoles. Keep six for cooking now and store the remaining separately. Line a plastic Tupperware with baking paper and add half the rissoles in a single layer, adding more paper between layers if needed. Cover and freeze for up to three months.

When you're ready to cook, preheat oven to 190°C.

Press a dimple into the centre of each rissole to help them cook evenly.

Heat oil in an ovenproof wide saucepan (alternatively, transfer to a roasting tray and use a frypan here) and add rissoles.

Cook for 3-4 minutes or until slightly browned on one side. Turn the rissoles and add cabbage and currants.

Combine vinegar, mustard, honey, and spices in a small bowl, then pour over cabbage.

Dot the pan with butter and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until patties are cooked through and cabbage has softened and begun to caramelise.

To serve, scatter with dill sprigs and serve with mashed potatoes and peas.

Photo: Sam Parish

Sam Parish is a Christchurch-based chef, writer and food stylist. Her food philosophy is ‘maximum of flavour, minimum of fuss’ (MOFMOF), which means she’s all about cooking smarter, not harder. She’ll be sharing delicious, fast, family-friendly food ideas every Wednesday (after road-testing them on her own whānau, of course). Sam’s first book, Cook Me is out now.