Dolmathes Meat Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipes

GREEK DOLMADES RECIPE (STUFFED VINE/ GRAPE LEAVES DOLMATHES)

Steps:

• To make this traditional Greek dolmades recipe (stuffed vine/ grape leaves), start by preparing the vine leaves. For this dolmades recipe, you can either use vine leaves sold in jars or fresh (if you are lucky enough to find them). If you use the ones in jar, rinse the vine leaves, remove the stems and leave them in a colander to drain. If using fresh vine leaves, wash them thoroughly, remove the stems and blanch them in boiling hot water. Remove the leaves with a slotted spoon and place them in a colander to cool down completely.
• Prepare the filling for the stuffed vine/ grape leaves (dolmades). Place the rice in a colander and rinse with running water. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add 1/3 of the olive oil and the chopped onions. Sauté the onions, until translucent (but not coloured). Add the rice and sauté for 1 more minute. Pour in 2 cups of warm water and half lemon juice and simmer for about 7 minutes, until the rice absorbs all the water and is parboiled. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the herbs, remove from the stove and set aside to cool down for a while. This will be the filling for the dolmades.
• Layer the bottom of a large pot with some vine leaves (use the ones that are little bit torn) and start rolling the dolmadakia. (This is probably the most difficult part of the traditional dolmades recipe). Place one vine leaf (shiny side down) on a flat surface and add 1 tsp of the filling at the bottom end (stem). Be careful not to overfill the dolmades, as the rice will expand during cooking. Fold the lower section of the leaf over the filling towards the center; bring the two sides in towards the center and roll them up tightly. Place the stuffed vine leaves (fold side down) on the bottom of the pot and top in snugly layers. Be careful not to leave any gaps between the dolmades to prevent them from cracking open when cooking.
• Drizzle the stuffed vine leaves (dolmathes) with the rest of the olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Place an inverted plate on top to hold them down when cooking and pour in enough water just to cover them. Place the lid on and simmer the dolmades for about 30-40 minutes, until the water has been absorbed and the dolmades remain only with the oil.
• Remove the pot from the heat, remove the lid and plate and let the dolmades cool for at least 30 minutes.
• Serve this delicious Greek appetizer cold or at room temperature with a squeeze of a lemon. Give this traditional dolmades recipe a try and enjoy your own fresh homemade stuffed grape leaves (dolmades)!

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES (DOLMADES)

Steps:

• Mix the lamb, onions, rice, pine nuts, salt, pepper, and mint into a bowl until evenly combined. Gently open up a grape leaf, and place rib-side down onto your work surface. Place a rounded tablespoon of the meat mixture into the center of the grape leaf. Fold the bottom of the leaf over the meat, fold in the sides, and roll into a tight cylinder. Place the rolled grape leaf into a large skillet, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining grape leaves, packing them in a tight, single layer.
• Pour the water into the skillet, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, 50 to 55 minutes. Check occasionally and add more water if needed. Pour off water before serving.

DOLMADES RECIPE

Steps:

• Remove stems from grape leaves and any torn leaves. (Most leaves can be cut in half - smaller ones remain whole.)
• Mix herbs, spices, tomato, onion, lamb, olive oil, salt and pepper into rice. Mix well by hand until well combined.
• Grease the bottom of the pot and put foil in the bottom. Line the bottom of the pot with any discarded grape leaf pieces. Top with tomato slices.
• Lay out a single grape leaf. Place a small amount of filling in the centre. Fold over edges and the roll up grape leaf longways.
• Roll tightly so they don't come apart but not so tight that they tear.
• Place the rolled grape leaves tightly against each other in layers. Place a plate that is heatproof and slightly smaller than the pot on top of the grape leaves to keep in place during the boiling process.
• Mix the tomato puree into the broth until dissolved. Pour the broth mixture over the grape leaves keeping the plate in place. Bring to a boil.
• Turn down to a simmer and cook like you would rice. Once the water has evaporated below the top layer of grape leaves, remove the plate.
• Cooks for about an hour and a half until all the liquid has evaporated.
• Remove from the heat and allow to rest in the pot for ten minutes.
• Remove the lid and place the serving plate over the pot. Flip pot so grape leaves are transferred to the plate.
• Let the contents settle for a couple of minutes before removing the pot. Serve with yogurt.

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.

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES (DOLMADES)

Steps:

• Separate grape leaves carefully. In a large pot, parboil grape leaves in a boiling water for about 8 minutes. Remove grape leaves with a slotted spoon and drain. Rinse rice in a colander and shake out excess water. Peel onions and grate into a bowl. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a pan and fry pine nuts and currants and add rice and onions and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add 3/8 l (approximately 13 ounces) water and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Rinse herbs, shake dry and chop finely and add to rice.
• Lay out grape leaves on work surface and cut stems with kitchen shears. Add 1 teaspoon rice to the wide side of each leaf. Fold wide side to the right and fold two right sides to the right and left over the filling. Roll from the top down into a cylinder. Place rolls with seam side down in a pot with a wide bottom and pour lemon juice and 2 tablespoons oil over rolls. Place an upturned plate over rolls and pour in hot water just until covered. Simmer over low heat for about 1 hour and let cool for 1 hour in pot. Serve on fresh grape leaves and garnish with lemon slices.

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES (WITH MEAT) RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Steps:

• Remove grape leaves from brine. Rinse, then soak in cold water to remove some of the saltiness of the brine. Soak the rice for 10 minutes in hot water and drain. (Alternatively, sauté the rice with the onion. I prefer to do this.) Sauté the onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until translucent, not browned. In a bowl, combine the onions, ground beef, rice, remaining olive oil, dill, mint,cumin,turmeric, lemon juice, and pepper. Mix well by hand. Gently separate one leaf and place it shiny side down on a work surface. Trim larger stems off with sharp knife. Place a pinch (up to a teaspoon) of the filling on the leaf at the point where the stem joined the leaf. Fold up the bottom of the leaf over the filling, then each side inward in parallel folds, and roll up the leaf. Roll should be firm, not tight, as the filling will expand during cooking. Repeat until all the filling has been used. I use a dolmade roller to make this much easier and quicker. Because the leaves on the bottom can burn while the filling cooks, put a plate or wooden skewers in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot (see tip below). The plate should fit as closely as possible to the sides. If there are unused leaves, or leaves that were torn and not used during the filling process, put them on the plate or on top of the skewers. Place the stuffed leaves on top, packing them closely together (not squashed), seam side down, so they don't unroll during cooking. Layer them until all are in the pot (2-3 layers is best, but no more than 4 layers). Place several unused leaves over the top. Take another plate and place it upside down on top of the stuffed leaves, with something to weight it down (a second plate works well). Add 2 cups of beef stock or water to the pot and cover. Bring the beef stock or water to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 50-70 minutes. (Note: if using water, add additional 3/4 cup lemon juice to the water for flavor. I much prefer beef stock). Check to see if done. If the rice has cooked, they are done. If not, continue cooking for another 10 minutes and check again. Cooking time depends both on the type of pot used and the particular stovetop element. (I have also done these in the crock pot on high for a couple of hours). If preferred, use a pressure cooker. No plates needed, but do use the skewers in the bottom. Pack the stuffed grape leaves into the pressure cooker, add the 2 cups of water, close and cook for 15-20 minutes at the first pressure mark. Serving: Individual servings of stuffed grape leaves are 4-5 pieces on small plates as an appetizer, however they can also be used as a side or main dish. Serve them warm or at room temperature with avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce), lemon wedges, tzatziki, or unflavored yogurt on the side. If I have time, I make tzatziki; otherwise Fage makes a good one. Storage: These will keep well in the refrigerator for about 5 days. Return to room temperature before serving. Drizzle olive oil on top and cover to store. They can also be frozen. If you do freeze, reheat in the microwave or by steaming and serve warm. Don't just thaw and eat. Tips: 1.If you don't have a plate that fits or skewers, line the bottom of the pan with unused or torn leaves. 2.Leftover filling can be used to make stuffed vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and eggplant. 3.To make as a main course, use larger grape leaves and increase the amount of filling in each leaf to 1 tablespoon.

GREEK STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH MEAT AND RICE (DOLMADES)

Steps:

• Thoroughly rinse and drain the grape leaves and set aside.
• Prepare a dutch oven by placing several grape leaves on the bottom to form a layer.
• In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients in a bowl, except for the lemon and chicken broth.
• Starting with a grape leave, place a tablespoon of mixture at the top of a leaf. Fold over, fold in sides, and roll!
• Place seam-side down in the pot. Continue in a single layer all the way around the pot, and then build a second layer, until all of the grape leaves are used up.
• Squeeze the juice of the half lemon over the dolmades.
• Pour the chicken broth over the dolmades until they're covered.
• If there is any filling left over, add to the pan.
• Cover the dolmades with a small flat plate to keep them submerged.
• Place a lid on the pot, and bring to a boil. Then lower to simmer and cook for about 50-55 minutes until the dolmades are tender and the rice and meat is cooked through.
• Make the Avgolemono Sauce by beating the two eggs until frothy. Add the lemon juice and beat some more until combined. Add juice from the pot of dolmades to egg/lemon mixture and beat until combined. Then, add the mixture to the pan. Gently shake the pan to distribute the mixture.
• Serve with a Greek Salad and crusty bread for a simple meal, or as a tasty appetizer.

DOLMATHAKIA ME KIMA: STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH MEAT AND RICE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot, and add the juice of 1/2 lemon and the salt. Carefully unroll the leaves (do not separate them). Turn off the heat and place the leaves in the hot water for 3 minutes.
• Remove the leaves and place them in a bowl and cover with cold water. When cooled, drain in a colander. It is not unusual for many of the outer leaves in the jar to be damaged or to tear while using. Set these aside to use later in the recipe.
• To prepare the filling, start by soaking the rice for 10 minutes in hot water and drain. (Alternatively, sauté the rice with the onion.)
• Sauté the onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until translucent, not browned.
• In a bowl, combine the onion, ground beef, rice, remaining olive oil, dill, mint, juice of 1 lemon, salt, and pepper. Mix well by hand.
• To fill and roll the leaves, gently separate one leaf and place it shiny-side down on a work surface. Place a heaping teaspoon (or more depending on the size of the leaf) of the filling on the leaf at the point where the stem joins the leaf.
• Fold up the bottom of the leaf over the filling, then each side inward in parallel folds, and roll up the leaf. The roll should be firm, not tight, as the filling will expand during cooking. Repeat until all the filling has been used.
• Because the leaves on the bottom can burn while the filling cooks, put a plate or wooden souvlaki skewers in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot (see tip below). The plate should fit snugly in the pot.
• If there are unused leaves or leaves that were torn and not used during the filling process, put them on the plate or on top of the skewers. Place the dolmathakia on top, packing them closely together (not squashed), seam side down, so they don't unroll during cooking. Layer them until all are in the pot (two to three layers are best, but no more than four layers). Place several unused leaves over the top.
• Take another plate and place it upside down on top of the dolmathakia, using something to weigh it down (a second plate works well). Add the 2 cups of water to the pot and cover. Bring the water to a gentle boil, add the remaining juice from the 1 1/2 lemons, reduce heat to low, and simmer for approximately 50 to 70 minutes. Check to see if done-if the rice has cooked, they are done. If not, continue cooking for another 10 minutes and check again. Cooking time depends both on the type of pot used and the particular stovetop heating element.
• If preferred, you can use a pressure cooker. No plates are needed but do use the skewers in the bottom. Pack the dolmathakia into the pressure cooker, add the 2 cups of water, close and cook for 15 to 20 minutes at the first pressure mark.

DOLMADES KASIOTIKI (MEAT-STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the beef, rice, onion, tomato, 3 Tbs. of the oil, the tomato paste, 2-1/2 tsp. kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.
• Add 6 cups of water to a medium Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Gently unfold and loosen the grape-leaf bunches (don't worry if you can't unfold each bunch completely), add to the water, and simmer until they soften, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Drain the grape leaves, and carefully run under cold water to cool. Transfer the damp leaves to a plate, then cover lightly with a damp kitchen towel to keep moist, reserving any torn leaves. Working with one leaf at a time, slice away any remaining hard stem.
• Put a grape leaf on a work surface smooth side down. Depending on the size of the leaf, the amount of filling can vary from 1 tsp. to 1 Tbs. Put the filling at the stem end of the grape leaf, and roll up from the stem to enclose; it should be plump but not overstuffed. Fold the two sides of the leaf over the filling, and continue rolling from the stem end. Transfer to a baking sheet seam side down, and repeat until you have used all the filling and/or whole grape leaves.
• Line the bottom of a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot with a circle of parchment. Arrange a bed of the reserved torn leaves to cover the parchment (don't worry if you don't have enough leaves). Put the dolmades on top of the torn leaves in a circle, placing them as close together as possible and stacking them in two layers, if necessary.
• Gently pour 1 cup of hot water, the remaining 2 Tbs. oil, and the lemon juice over the dolmades. Cover with another circle of parchment, then cover with a heavy plate to prevent the dolmades from floating while cooking.
• Cover the pot with the lid ajar, and cook over low heat until the rice is cooked through, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Gently remove the dolmades from the pot, and drain on paper towels. Transfer to a platter, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve warm or at room temperature with the lemon wedges.

DOLMADES - AUTHENTIC GREEK STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES W/ MEAT (SOUTHER

Steps:

• Unroll grape leaves and place in a pot of boiling water. Reduce heat to medium and let boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, pour out hot water, and cover leaves with cold water. Let soak while preparing stuffing.
• Knead the rest of the ingredientes together. Spoon filling inside a leaf and roll like a burrito, sealing completely.
• In large pot, add olive oil to cover bottom or butter. Arrange rolled dolmades on top. Do this all at once, not as you roll them. Pour chicken broth over dolmades, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
• Serve with Greek yogurt and lemon wedges.

DOLMATHES

Steps:

• Rinse and drain grape leaves, set aside. Reserve about 6 to 8 imperfect leaves aside, you will need these to line the pot later.
• Combine ground meat, rice, grated onion, chopped dill, chopped parsley, sliced green onions, chopped mint, salt and pepper and 1/2 the lemon zest in a bowl and mix well.
• Lay a grape leave (or several at a time), vein side up and point facing away from you (stalk end towards you) on a clean flat surface (cutting board or clean counter) and put about 1 tablespoon of meat mixture towards the stalk end...give or take depending on how big the grape leave is.
• Fold top part of the grape leave over the meat mixture and then fold in both sides and roll up from top (stalk side) to bottom. Do this until your mixture runs out or your grape leaves run out. See pictures below.
• Line the bottom of a heavy pot with a drizzle of olive, then layer the 6-8 imperfect grape leaves on the bottom of the pot.
• Layer the lemon slices randomly over the leaves then start arranging the rolled up stuffed grape leaves around the pot all the way into the center, in a snug fashion. Once you've filled one layer then start another layer, and so on until you've put all of them in the pot.
• Once done layering, pour olive oil onto grape leaves, then the lemon juice and rest of the zest, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and then place a plate, that fits the pot almost perfectly, over the grape leaves.
• Slowly pour broth and/or water onto the plate so it slowly trickles into the stuffed rolls. Keep adding liquid until you see the liquid right at the rim of the plate.
• Turn heat to medium and bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 50-60 minutes, depending on how thick you made the rolls.

MEAT & RICE STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• In a skillet, heat 2Tbsp of the olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the chopped onion and garlic until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the spices and let them sweat for a couple more minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine the meat, the rice, the onion mixture and the parsley. Mix everything together with your hands until everything is incorporated. Reserve.
• Drain and rinse the grape leaves.
• Take the stems of every grape leaf and blanch them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve.
• To roll the grape leaves, place a leaf with the vein side up on your work surface. Add one tablespoon of the filling mixture to the center of the leaf. Fold the edges in and up and roll the grape leaf until it looks like a cigar, tucking the edges under the roll. Proceed with the other leaves until you've run out of filling or leaves. (See blog post for step-by-step pictures!)
• Line a heavy bottomed pot with (unrolled) grape leaves. On top of that, add the onion rings.
• Proceed to arrange the stuffed grape leaves in rows, alternating the direction of each layer of rows.
• Fill the pot with the chicken broth (enough to cover the rolls) and the remaining olive oil.
• Place a plate on the top to prevent the rolls from floating.
• Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
• When it boils, lower the heat to low and cook for 40 minutes, until meat is cooked and rice is tender.
• Remove the rolls from the broth and serve warm or at room temperature.

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.

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES-DOLMADES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Prepare the grape leaves: Take the leaves out of the jar and rinse them.
• Note: For a pound of meat, I used only half of the leaves in the jar, but if you cook for a crowd and want to use them all, double the amount of meat, rice, and everything else.
• If you have leftover leaves, put them in a ziplock bag and freeze them for later use.
• Remove the stems so you can have a smooth leaf surface to work with.
• Make the stuffing:
• Put all the ingredients, meat, onions, rice, and spices, in a bowl. Mix everything well to combine.
• Grab a leaf and spread it flat on your work surface.
• Place a teaspoon of meat mixture on the leaf but on the other side of the stem.
• Fold the end of the leaf over the meat once.
• Then fold over the left and right sides of the leaf.
• Continue to fold the leaf-like you would roll a cigar by pushing the edges inside so the meat doesn't come out.
• Before you start placing the rolls into your cooking pot, spread 3-4 leaves on its bottom. This will prevent the rolls from sticking to the bottom.
• Start adding the rolls.
• Continue wrapping the stuffed grape leaves until you finish the meat mixture.
• Add the juice of one lemon into your pot and the water/stock, just to cover the stuffed grape leaves.
• Use aluminum foil to cover the pot if you don't have a lid.
• Place the pot inside the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes at 350F or until the rolls are tender and the rice is cooked inside.
• The juice of the lemon together will make this dish a special delicate one.
• Note: Serve it with a nice glass of light white wine, a good slice of bread, and some sour cream.
• How to make vegetarian/vegan stuffed grape leaves:
• Use a food processor to grind the mushrooms.
• Mix the mushrooms with dried thyme.
• Chop the onion.
• Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the chopped onion until translucent.
• Mix the rice with cooked onion and mushrooms.
• Taste for salt and pepper.
• Follow the same steps as above for the recipe that uses meat.
• Instead of making a sauce with lemon juice and mint, use tomato paste and water to boil the stuffed grape leaves.
• Serve with sour cream on top.

DOLMATHES ( MEAT STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES)

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet.
• Add onion and saute until transparent but don't brown.
• Add meat, stirring to break into pieces.
• Add rice,dill,pine nuts, water and tomato paste; season to taste with pepper.
• Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
• Cover bottom of Dutch oven with layer of the smaller grape leaves and any that get torn in the process of rolling.
• Stuff remaining leaves by placing leaf shiny side down, on the palm of hand, with base of leaf toward wrist and tip of leaf toward middle finger.
• Put a spoonful of meat mixture in the center.
• Fold base of leaf over stuffing, then fold sides of leaf over (like an envelope), tucking edges in snugly.
• Arrange tip side down in pan.
• Add broth to within 1 inch of top layer; use any leftover leaves to cover top layer.
• Place plate upside down over top layer and press.
• Cover and cook over medium heat until rice is tender, about 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle with lemon juice and cook 5 minutes longer.
• Let cool to room temperature, or chill thoroughly.
• Garnish with lemon slices and serve.
• *The stuffed grape leaves can be prepared 2 to 3 days before serving and refrigerated or they may be frozen, If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then add a little broth or water before gently reheating in a pan.

DOLMATHES

Steps:

• Put a pot that is large enough to hold the grape leaves over high heat. Add enough water to cover the leaves and bring to a boil. Add grape leaves and blanch for 5 minutes, drain and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine: ground beef, rice, sea salt, pepper, onion, olive oil, and dill, mix well.
• Take a knife and cut off the stem of each grape leaf.
• Place about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture at the bottom of each leaf (ribs up) and fold over the sides of the leaf to cover the mixture. Then roll upwards. Place into a deep pot in layers (should have about 2 layers depending on the size of your pot).
• Once all dolmathes are done, cover the tops of them with any broken grape leaves (if you have them).
• Add the chicken broth, cover dolmathes with a small plate or lid to keep them down and together. Turn heat to medium.
• Bring to simmer, cook on low for about 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.
• Once cooked, prepare the avgolemono sauce.
• Beat eggs in a bowl for 5 minutes.
• Add lemon juice to the egg mixture and while still beating slowly pour in 1 cup of hot broth from the dolmathes pot into bowl with the eggs - this tempers them so they won't curdle.
• Now, pour egg mixture into pot with dolmathes and slowly mix everything together. Add salt and pepper if desired.
• Bring to simmer, cover, and remove from heat.
• Place a few dolmathes on a plate, pour some avgolemono sauce over them, and serve with lemon wedges!

DOLMADES (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES)

Steps:

• To make the filling, coat a large saute pan with 1/4 cup of the oil and place over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and lemon zest and stir until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the pine nuts and rice, saute for 2 minutes, stirring to coat. Pour in just 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and lower the heat. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 10 minutes. Scrape the parboiled rice mixture into a bowl and add the dill and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool. Now on to the grape leaves.
• Bring a big pot of water to a simmer. Blanch the grape leaves in the hot water for 5 minutes until pliable. Drain then trim the stems and any hard veins from the leaves. Pat dry with paper towels.
• To assemble the dolmades, lay a grape leaf on a work surface, shiny-side down. Put 2 tablespoons of the rice filling near the stem end of the leaf. Fold the stem end over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle, and roll up into a cigar ¿ it should be snug but not overly tight because the rice will swell once it is fully cooked. Squeeze lightly in the palm of your hand to secure the roll. Repeat with remaining grape leaves and filling.
• Place the dolmades in a large Dutch oven or wide deep skillet, seam-side down in a single layer. Pour the remaining cup of broth, remaining olive oil, and the lemon juice over the dolmades, the liquid should reach halfway up the rolls, add some water if necessary. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the dolmades are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm, at room temperature or cool.

DOLMATHAKIA (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH RICE AND HERBS)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Rinse the leaves well to remove brine.
• Place the leaves in boiling water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes to soften them and make them more pliable. Remove from water and set aside.
• In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 cup olive oil. Sauté the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the rice, parsley, dill, pine nuts, mint, salt, and pepper. Taste test and adjust the seasoning as desired.
• Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Allow the filling to cool about 10 minutes.​
• Line the bottom of a heavy saucepan with 2 or 3 grape leaves (use the broken or torn ones for this).
• Roll the dolmathakia by placing a leaf with the stem toward you on a flat surface. The underside of the leaf should be face up. (The veins of the leaf are raised on the underside.) Using the point of a sharp paring knife, cut out the stem of the leaf. Overlap the bottom two sections of the leaf toward the center.
• Place a tablespoon of filling in the bottom center of the leaf, just above the stem.
• Fold the bottom section up to cover the filling.
• Fold the sides in toward the center.
• Continue rolling the packet up toward the top point of the leaf.
• Place the rolls in layers, seam-side down, in the saucepan.
• Pour remaining 1/2 cup olive oil over the dolmathakia and enough water to cover them by about 1 inch.
• Place an inverted heatproof plate on top of the rolls to keep them submerged in the water.
• Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the leaves are tender and the rice filling is cooked through.
• Serve and enjoy!