Stuffed Grape Leaves
Ingredients
- 200–300 g grape leaves
- 500 g short-grain rice (Carolina or glazed rice)
- 2 large onions, grated or finely processed
- 3 ripe tomatoes, grated
- 3 zucchinis, coarsely grated
- 1 bunch of dill, finely chopped
- 1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- 1 bunch of fennel, finely chopped
- ½ bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped
- 2 lemons
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ glass of extra virgin olive oil, plus another ½ glass for the pot
- 2 tsp. sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Blanch the grape leaves in batches by dipping them into boiling water for 1–2 minutes. Transfer them immediately to a bowl of cold water, then drain well in a colander.
- Mix the rice with the onion, tomato, zucchini, and herbs. Add the zest and juice of 1 lemon, the oil, and sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 glass of water so that the mixture is fairly watery. This is important to ensure the dolmades turn out fluffy and tender (see cabbage dolmades, giouvarlakia). Taste a little of the broth from the mixture, which should be relatively salty because the saltiness will decrease significantly during cooking due to the rice.
- Line the bottom of a large pot with a few grape leaves and drizzle in half a glass of olive oil. Roll the dolmades and arrange them tightly, seam-side down, starting from the outside of the pot and working towards the centre. Continue layering them until all the filling has been used. Add the juice of one lemon, season lightly with salt and pepper, and pour in enough water to just cover the dolmades. Cover them with parchment paper and place a heatproof plate on top to keep them firmly in place during cooking.
- Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 50 minutes. By the end of cooking, most of the liquid should have been absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the dolmades to rest for a few minutes so they can absorb the remaining juices before serving.
Stuffed Grape Leaves
Ingredients
- 200–300 g grape leaves
- 500 g short-grain rice (Carolina or glazed rice)
- 2 large onions, grated or finely processed
- 3 ripe tomatoes, grated
- 3 zucchinis, coarsely grated
- 1 bunch of dill, finely chopped
- 1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- 1 bunch of fennel, finely chopped
- ½ bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped
- 2 lemons
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ glass of extra virgin olive oil, plus another ½ glass for the pot
- 2 tsp. sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Blanch the grape leaves in batches by dipping them into boiling water for 1–2 minutes. Transfer them immediately to a bowl of cold water, then drain well in a colander.
- Mix the rice with the onion, tomato, zucchini, and herbs. Add the zest and juice of 1 lemon, the oil, and sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 glass of water so that the mixture is fairly watery. This is important to ensure the dolmades turn out fluffy and tender (see cabbage dolmades, giouvarlakia). Taste a little of the broth from the mixture, which should be relatively salty because the saltiness will decrease significantly during cooking due to the rice.
- Line the bottom of a large pot with a few grape leaves and drizzle in half a glass of olive oil. Roll the dolmades and arrange them tightly, seam-side down, starting from the outside of the pot and working towards the centre. Continue layering them until all the filling has been used. Add the juice of one lemon, season lightly with salt and pepper, and pour in enough water to just cover the dolmades. Cover them with parchment paper and place a heatproof plate on top to keep them firmly in place during cooking.
- Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 50 minutes. By the end of cooking, most of the liquid should have been absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the dolmades to rest for a few minutes so they can absorb the remaining juices before serving.
All recipes are from blamegastronomy.com
