Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Making stuffed grape leaves has always been on my “to do” list as a home cook. One of my dear friends, wine writer Eunice Fried, would make them for her annual Christmas party. They were so delicious that I would park myself next to their dish on her table, then discreetly pop one after the other into my mouth. I always ate more than my fair share. Hopefully no one was counting!
Dolmades is something made in most Mediterranean homes throughout Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt as well as Greece. Often chopped meat and exotic spices such as cumin and allspice are added. This recipe, however, is a vegetarian one. There are so many variations on the theme of stuffed grape leaves that it‘s impossible to ever get bored with this dish.
I can’t tell you how excited I was to finally get a chance to make them. But fair warning. You need to prepare the vine leaves properly! Making dolmans is easy but slightly labor intensive. However, there is nothing so complicated that you can’t manage it if you follow the instructions. Two tips: Be sure to preparing your vine leaves properly. Take no shortcuts. And avoid over-stuffing them as the filling will fall out during the cooking process.
If you don’t have a Mediterranean specialty food store close by, not to worry as you can order the grape leaves online.
Ingredients:
½ content of a jar of preserved vine leaves
2 fresh plum tomatoes, thickly sliced (to be used for cooking the Dolmades)
¾ cup EVOO (plus extra for preparing the cooking pot)
½ cup shallots, peeled and finely chopped
4 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup short grained rice (I used Arborio)
¼ cup currants
¼ cup pinenuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fennel fronds
2 large lemons, zest from one lemon and juice from both
¾ cup hot vegetable broth
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh dill leaves and lemon slices for garnish
Cooking instructions:
1. Remove grape leaves from jar and rinse in cold water removing as much of the brine as possible. Select the nicest leaves to stuff. Remove any tough stems at the bottom of the leaves. (The grape leaves will not be all the same size plus some will be torn. The remaining leaves can be used to prepare the cooking pot.) To avoid tough grape leaves, either soften by allowing the vine leaves to sit for 20 minutes in cool water, or better yet, gently boil them in water for approximately 15 minutes. Drain, cool, and set aside while you make the filling.
2. Heat half of the EVOO in a large non-reactive pan. Add the shallots and scallions and sauté over a low heat until softened, around 5 minutes. Do not allow to color. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add in the rice, currants, pinenuts, herbs and lemon zest and half of the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, then add the hot vegetable broth. Stir everything together.
3. Cover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and cool.
4. Prepare the cooking pot by first lightly oiling the bottom with some EVOO. Then add a few layers of leftover grape leaves at the bottom. Top with sliced tomatoes. (This will protect the stuffed grape leaves from touching the bottom of the pot and from scorching.)
5. To stuff, place each leaf (the more textured side facing you) on a board or flat surface and, depending on size of the leaf, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of filling at the bottom end. Fold the bottom section of the leaf over the filling and towards the middle; bring both sides in toward the middle and start rolling them up. Avoid rolling too tightly as rice will expand during the cooking process. As you complete each tiny parcel, place it seam side down in the prepared pot.
6. Before cooking place an inverted plate on the dolmades to keep them firmly pressed down so that they do not unravel during cooking. Cover with water, add the remaining amount of EVOO and lemon juice. Bring to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer, add the lid and cook for 25-35 minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed. (Keep your eye on this and add more water as needed.)
7. Uncover the pot, remove the plate. Allow the dolmades to cool down for at least 30 minutes before serving. Dolmades will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
8. Garnish with dill and lemon slices.
Makes: 25-30 Dolmades
Wine recommendation: A nice dry, crisp white Greek wine such as an Assyrtiko or Moscofilero. Also delicious would be a Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño from Spain or a Falanghina or Vermentino from Italy.