Greek Dolmades Recipe Stuffed Grape Leaves All You Need To Know

GREEK DOLMADES RECIPE: STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW!

Steps:

• First, peel and mince the red onion and the garlic.
• Then, reduce the spring onions into thin rounds.
• At this point, pour the vegetables into a saucepan along with 3 tbsp of olive oil and sauté 20 minutes over medium heat until the onion becomes soft and translucent.
• Now, add the rice into the pan, and sauté a couple of minutes along with the onions.
• Then, add 1 cup of boiling water and simmer the rice half of the time suggested onto the box, stirring as needed.
• If the water evaporates too early, add a little more: at the end, you want the rice half cooked, and the water completely evaporated.
• Finally, add salt and pepper to taste, cover the pan with a lid and let it rest far from the heat.
• At this point, rinse, dry and mince the herbs, and combine with the rice and onions.
• Eventually, pour the rice stuffing into a plate and let it reach room temperature.
• First, bring to boil a pot full of water. Then, place the pot far from the heat and poach immediately the leaves a couple of minutes.
• Finally, rinse the leaves with cold water.
• Now, line the bottom of a pot with a layer of grape leaves: these to protect the dolmades.
• At this point let's prepare the dolmades! Spread out one or two grape leaves, depending on their size.
• Then, place a tbsp of rice stuffing over the leaf, and roll the dolma folding the borders.
• Finally, place the dolma into the pot. Repeat this step to finish the leaves and stuffing, assembling more layers of dolmades.
• Now, pour the juice of the lemons, and the rest of the olive oil over dolmades.
• Then, place a plate over the dolmades. You want the plate to adhere to the rolls, and be a little smaller than the inner of the pot: otherwise, the dolmades will float during the cooking.
• Finally, submerge the plate and the rolls with water, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer gently about 45 minutes. Monitor the water during the cooking: if it starts to run out, add some more hot water.
• Once ready, let the dolmades cool down, then serve warm or at room temperature along with tzatziki or your preferred sauces.

DOLMADES (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, combine onion, rice, lamb, beef, garlic, parsley, carrot, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon oil, chopped mint, salt, and pepper.
• Place a leaf, vein side up, on a work surface; place about 1 tablespoon filling just below center. Fold bottom of leaf over filling and sides in toward center; roll up. Do not overfill or roll too tightly. Repeat, making 35.
• Lay dolmades, seam side down, in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking pan; do not pack tightly.
• Combine stock and remaining 3 tablespoons oil; pour over dolmades. Squeeze lemon over dolmades, and place lemon slices and mint sprigs on top. Place another 9-by-13-inch baking pan, half full of water, on top to weigh down dolmades.
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Let dolmades cool in cooking liquid, still weighted, for 2 hours. Serve drizzled with olive oil, or refrigerate for up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before serving.