Variations of stuffed grape leaves or dolmades are made all over the Balkans all the way go the Middle East. They differ according to cultural culinary traditions.

This is the Greek version. This one is herby, lemony and filled with ground beef and rice. You can make the same thing with only herbs and rice, and in some parts of Greece they add pie nuts and currants to the mixture.

If I am in the mood, I will make the rice and herbs ones as well, layering them in the same pot and separating them with a few leaves.

We serve them with either avgolemono sauce or tzatziki.

Ingredients:

1 jar of grape leaves

Dolmades with meat & rice

1 lbs ground beef
1 onion
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of dill
1/2 bunch of mint
1 tbsp dry oregano
1/2 cup of Carolina rice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Dolmades with rice & herbs (no meat)

1 cup Carolina rice

1/2 white or yellow onion

1/2 bunch of parsley

1/2 bunch of dill

1/2 bunch of mint

1 bunch of scallions

1/2 tsp dry oregano

Juice & zest of 1 lemon

Salt & pepper to taste

Drizzle of olive oil

Avgolemono sauce

Reserved broth from dolmades

4 eggs (separated)

Juice of 2 lemons

Directions:

Rinse the grape leaves very well. I soak them in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and repeat three times. Then I taste a pinch of one to be sure that the brine is gone. Otherwise your food will become bitter.

Create your mixtures:

Finely chop your herbs and onions. Rinse and the rice in cold water for 10 minutes. Separate the amount of herbs and rice you want for each filling.

Mix the meat mixture. You don’t have to precook the rice for this, as the juices of the meat and the water in the pot will help it cook.

For the rice and herbs dolmadakia, I parboil the Carolina rice for a few minutes to soften it. Heat the oil in a sauté pan and soften the onion. Add the rice with a little water at a time, stirring it, as you would risotto. For about 10 minutes. Put it in a bowl and add in the rest of the ingredients. Set it aside to cool for handling.

Line the bottom of your pot with the broken or extra grape leaves & some lemon slices. Fill the pot with stuffed grape leaves, packing them tightly amongst each other. Cover those with more lemon slices and the extra grape leaves. Fill the pot with water & cover with a plate go fully submerge the dolmadakia. Cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour. Let them cook down for 60 minutes. Most of the water will be absorbed.

To make the avgolemono sauce:

Strain the broth from the pot.
Whisk the 4 egg yolks and the juice of 2 lemons in one bowl. Whip the egg whites in a separate bowl till frothy. Gently stream in the yolk lemon mixture to this, followed by the cooled broth.

Back into the pot.

Bring that to a simmer while whisking to warm it up together. Then bring to a boil to thicken. If you want a thicker consistency, add a tbsp of cornstarch. Strain that for any unwanted bits.

Optionally garnish with a tsp of freshly chopped dill. Salt & pepper to taste. It may not need it.

We usually eat these cold.

Kali Oreksi!