Dolmadakia With Avgolemono Sauce Recipes

DOLMADAKIA AVGOLEMONO: GRAPELEAVES IN A LEMONY SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the onion with ¼ cup olive oil in a pot and cook over medium heat until soft and golden. About 10 minutes.
• Combine the ground beef, herbs, rice, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Add the cooked onions and the oil that they were cooked in. Mix until combined.
• Rinse and dry the grape leaves. Cut the hard stem from each leaf. Reserve the smallest and the torn leaves to lay on bottom of pot.
• Lay a grape leaf shiny side down and place a tablespoon of rice filling on the bottom end of the leaf, near the stem.
• ​Fold the stem end of leaf over the filling. Fold the sides over and roll up snugly but not too tight. The rice will expand while cooking.
• Repeat with all of the remaining grape leaves until your filling is done.
• Layer half of the small and torn grape leaves to create a bed for the dolmades in a pot.
• Season the lamb on both sides with salt and pepper and place in the pot along with the grape leaves.
• Place the dolmades seam side down and very close together over the bed of leaves. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Pour the olive oil and lemon juice over the dolmades.
• ​Place the remaining reserved small leaves over the dolmades.
• Pour the water or chicken stock over the dolmades.
• ​Place an inverted plate over the dolmades to weigh them down and to prevent them from moving around and opening while cooking.
• Cover with lid and bring to a boil.
• Reduce to a simmer and cook about 45 minutes or until tender.
• Carefully strain the liquid out of the pot into a pitcher. There should be 3 cups of liquid. Add more water or chicken broth if there's not enough. Place the broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Combine the egg yolks, cornstarch, lemon juice, and dill in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth.
• Add some of the hot broth to the eggs and whisk well to temper.
• Add the egg mixture to the pot and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Either pour the sauce over the dolmades or pour some over them and serve the remaining sauce in a gravy boat alongside the dolmades with some lemon wedges.
• Enjoy!

DOLMADAKIA WITH AVGOLEMONO SAUCE

Steps:

• Do not cook the rice, but soak it in boiling water 5 minutes and drain in a sieve.
• Unfold the vine leaves and rinse under cold running water.
• In a bowl, combine the the rice, onions, meat, mint, parsley, seasonings and oil; mix together with clean hands.
• Form 1 Tbs of the mixture into an oval shape, place on a vine leaf and roll up, turning the ends in to seal; repeat until all the stuffing is used.
• Arrange stuffed leaves closely packed in layers in a small flame-proof baking dish (I use an 8 x 8-inch pan or a Pyrex deep 9-inch pie pan).
• Pour in the broth or water to cover; sprinkle with the juice of 1 lemon.
• Place a heat-proof plate on top of the grape leaves to weigh them down.
• Cover with foil, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour over very low heat.
• Let the leaves cool slightly in the broth and remove from broth, reserving the broth.
• Beat the egg yolks Add the juice of the other lemon to the yolks.
• Heat the yolk mixture, slowly adding some of hot broth from dolmadakia while heating.
• Remove from heat, stir into rest of broth and let stand 5 minutes to thicken.
• Serve immediately while sauce is warm.