My Own Famous Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipes

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• Put the onions and oil in a skillet and cook over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. While the onions cook, peel the garlic cloves and mash them to a paste in a mortar and pestle. Add this to the pan along with the tomato, lemon juice, tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the rice. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the dill. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.
• While this is cooling, drain the grape leaves and carefully pull them apart. Put them into a bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them soak until you are ready to roll.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place a grape leaf on your work surface, shiny side down. Add 1 tablespoon of the rice mixture to the middle of the grape leaf. Fold the sides over the rice and roll the leaf into a small log shape, about the size of George's thumb. Repeat with the remaining rice, placing the stuffed leaves into a 9 by 9-inch baking dish. When the dish is full, cover the stuffed leaves with several layers of flat grape leaves and pour in 1 cup of water. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate. Serve cool.

MY OWN FAMOUS STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the rice, onion, dill, and mint for about 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Pour in 1 quart of broth, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until rice is almost cooked. Stir in 1/2 of lemon juice and remove from heat.
• Take one leaf, shiny side down, and place 1 teaspoon of the rice mixture at the bottom (stem) end of the leaf. Fold both sides of the leaf towards the center, roll up from the broad bottom to the top, and place into a 4-quart pot. Repeat with all leaves, leaving no gaps as leaves are placed in pot (to prevent from opening while cooking). Sprinkle with remaining lemon juice and with olive oil.
• Pour chicken broth over all to cover grape leaves. Cover pot and simmer for about 1 hour (do not boil, because this will make the stuffing burst out of the leaves). Remove from heat, remove cover and let cool for 1/2 hour. Transfer to serving dish and serve.

ROSE'S STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• Carefully separate the grape leaves, place in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Let the leaves soak for 20 minutes, then drain and rinse to remove excess salt. Drain the leaves, snip off the stems (reserving stems), and lay the leaves on a towel to dry.
• In a large saucepan, heat 3/4 cup olive oil, add the onions, salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the water and stir in the rice. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook rice until water is absorbed, about 17 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, and mix in the pine nuts, lemon juice, parsley, currants, dry mint, allspice, and additional salt and pepper to taste.
• Place one leaf on a flat surface, vein side up, shiny side down. Place a rounded teaspoon of filling in the center of the leaf, near the stem edge. Fold the stem end over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle, and form into a roll. Squeeze lightly in the palm of your hand to secure the roll. Repeat process with remaining leaves and filling.
• Line the bottom of a 3 quart heavy saucepan with reserved stems, trimmings and any leftover or torn grape leaves, and arrange bundles seam sides down, packing them close together in layers.
• Combine the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil with 3/4 cup water, and pour over the stuffed grape leaves. Place a small, heatproof plate on top of the stuffed leaves, cover the pan and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until leaves are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Cool the rolls in the pan, covered, then chill, covered and serve cold.

MIDDLE EASTERN STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES-SORT OF

Steps:

• Rinse grape leaves in cold water and blanch in boiling water for three minutes in three or four lots. Remove to basin of cold water with slotted spoon then into colander to drain. (This is the hard part for me, as the leaves tend to want to come apart).
• Gently fry onion in oil until soft. Lightly mix meat, rice, onion, oil, herbs, salt and pepper until will combined.
• Place a grape leaf, shiny side down on a work surface. Snip of stem if necessary. Place about a tablespoon of mixture near stem end, fold end and sides over stuffing and roll up firmly. Stuffing will make about 4 dozen rolls (you will be an expert roller when you are finished!).
• Line base of a heavy pan with six leaves(use the ones that fell apart during the blanching) pack the rolls on top in layers close together to keep them from falling apart during cooking (I have discovered the hard way this is VERY important). Sprinkle lemon juice over every layer.
• Cover top of rolls with remaining grape leaves. Add butter, chicken stock and remaining lemon juice. Invert a heavy plate on top to keep rolls in shape during cooking (also VERY important).
• Cover pan with lid and place over medium heat. Bring to a slow simmer, then simmer gently over LOW heat for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
• To make sauce: melt butter in a small sauce pan and stir in flour. Cook 2 minutes with out browning and stir in the stock stir constantly until sauce thickens and bubbles.
• Beat eggs in a bowl until frothy and beat in one tablespoon of lemon juice. Pour hot sauce into eggs gradually, beating constantly (you really can do this with two hands) Return sauce to pan and stir over gentle heat for two minutes to cook the egg. Care must be taken as sauce could curdle. If this happens, sprinkle a little cold water into sauce and beat with egg whisk.
• Drain cooked rolls (CAREFULLY) and arrange on a serving dish, garnish with parsley and lemon slices, serve egg and lemon sauce in a separate sauce boat.
• You can also serve these cold without the sauce.

ELAINE'S DOLMATHES (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES)

Steps:

• Remove grape leaves from jar and cut off stems. Place a few leaves (10) at a time in a deep fry pan of simmering water for a about a minute. This removes the brine.
• Line the bottom of a 3 qt pan with 3 to 4 large leaves.
• Mix remaining ingredients except water in a bowl and start rolling.
• Place leaf, face or shiny side down. Put a small amount of mixture on upper half of leaf (stem end). Make one roll then turn sides in . Continue to roll.
• Place rolled grape leaves in the prepared pot seam side down. I work from the outer edge. Once the first layer is complete start a second layer.
• When all filling is used cover rolled leaves with 4 large leaves. Cover the leaves with a saucer that will fit inside the pot and add the 1 cup water. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and cook for 45 minutes.