Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmades)

Intermediate Cook - Lengthy Cooking Time - Gluten-Free

Stuffed grape leaves or "dolmades" have always been one of my favorite mediterranean dishes. Growing up, my mother kept one or two cans in the pantry, which she usually had to replenish on a weekly basis, given that they wouldn't stay there for long. That was back then, when I didn't know how to make my own. While this recipe is somewhat time consuming, the flavors of canned stuffed grape leaves pale by comparison. In addition, my mother-in-law has taught me a brilliant version of this recipe using romaine lettuce leaves instead of grape leaves. 

Not only is the lettuce easier to come by, the stuffing and rolling process is slightly more straightforward, and the flavor of the lettuce is less briny than the grape leaves, making the dish lighter. There are many different stuffing recipes, some call for pine nuts, others only include rice. Our family recipe is a combination of rice and ground beef. In the process steps below, I have detailed the preparation using both grape leaves and romaine lettuce.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• If stuffing romaine lettuce: 3-4 hearts of romaine lettuce
• If stuffing grape leaves: 20-24 grape leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup medium grain white rice
• 1 small red onion
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup water
• Juice from 1 lemon (approximately 1/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoon fresh chopped dill or 1 tablespoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 quart low sodium chicken stock or water

Time - 2 hours and 30 minutes

• Preparation: 1 hour
• Cooking: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Preparation

• Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil

If stuffing fresh grape leaves:

• Place 4 grape leaves in the boiling water and boil for 4 minutes
• Remove from the water and set aside on a large plate, taking care to lay each grape leaf flat, one on top of the other, and parboil the next batch of 4 grape leaves. Repeat until all of the grape leaves have been parboiled

Note: Certain mediterranean stores sell canned grape leaves. If using canned leaves, remove them from the jar and soak in a bowl of water with one tablespoon of vinegar for 20 minutes to reduce the brininess of the leaves

If stuffing romain lettuce leaves:

• Separate the heart of romaine lettuce leaves and put the leaves that are too small to stuff back in the refrigerator
• Place 4 lettuce leaves in the boiling water and boil for 1 minute
• Remove the lettuce leaves from the water, set aside on a large plate, taking care to lay each lettuce leaf flat, one on top of the other, and parboil the next batch of 4 lettuce leaves. Repeat until all of the leaves have been parboiled

• Peel the onion and mince in a food processor or with a knife
  
• Once minced, combine the onion in a large bowl with the ground beef, rice, dill, salt, olive oil, 1 cup of water, and mix well
  

• Choose a large pot in which you will place the stuffed grape/lettuce leaves
• You are now ready to begin stuffing the leaves

If stuffing grape leaves: 

• Place the grape leaf flat on a plate; with a sharp knife remove the thickest portion of the stem from the leaf
• Place a small amount of meat at the base of the leaf and shape into a rectangle
• "Roll" the grape leaf as shown below
• When rolling, don't roll too tightly as the rice in the stuffing will expand as it cooks. If rolled too tightly, the stuffing in the grape leaf will be dense

If stuffing romaine lettuce leaves: 

• Place the lettuce leaf on a plate and apply pressure to the center stem of the leaf to break or weaken
• Place a small amount of meat at the bottom center of the leaf
• Roll the leaf up like a burrito, rolling up the bottom while folding over the sides
• When rolling, don't roll too tightly as the rice in the stuffing will expand as it cooks

• Once rolled, place each stuffed leaf in the pot adding new ones next to it. Depending on the size of the pot you may need to create a second layer of stuffed leaves

• Pour the chicken stock and/or water over the stuffed leaves until fully submerged. If using only water, add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• Add the lemon juice

• Place a light bowl, plate, or other item on top of the stuffed leaves to keep them from floating during the cooking process

• Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Periodically check the stuffed leaves to ensure that the liquid has not fully evaporated. While the stuffed leaves don't need to be submerged during the entire cooking process, you should see some of the water/stock bubbling between the leaves. If needed, add 1/2 to 1 cup of water 

• Our family eats the stuffed leaves as is. If you want to add a little something, you can squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the stuffed leaves or top with a lemon-egg sauce called avgolemono.