Dolmades Greek Stuffed Grape Leaves
- 16 ounces grape leaves
- 4 cups onions, finely chopped
- 2 cups scallions, finely chopped
- 2 large lemons
- 1 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups uncooked rice (usually white but you can use what you like)
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure olive oil
- 1 lb hamburger or 1 lb lamb, must be very finely chopped
- 5 cups water
- Remove grape leaves from jar carefully.
- Rinse the leaves under cold water trying to preserve each leaf.
- Open leaves and place in colander let leaves drain but do not let dry out.
- Par-Cook rice in water for about 1/2 the normal cook time and rice is still firm.
- In pan cook meat, onions with 1Tbsp pure olive oil until completely cooked.
- Discard any juice or extra oil from cooked meat.
- In bowl mix cooked rice, meat onions and scallions.
- Mix in juice of one lemon.
- Salt and pepper mixture to taste.
- Assembly - one leaf at a time.
- Lay a leaf with shiny side down on to work surface.
- Scoop a rounded and packed tsp of the mixture and place it on the leaf where the veins join to become a stem.
- If there is a stem just pinch it off and discard it.
- Fold the sides of the leaf in towards the middle.
- Roll the leaf up towards its point and keep tucking in the sides as you roll.
- You want a firm package.
- Use olive oil to grease the bottom and sides of a large sauce pan.
- Place the stuffed and folded leaves carefully on the bottom of the pan with seams facing downwards,.
- Once the bottom of the pan is covered proceed to fill the next layer with more stuffed leaves until you run out of leaves.
- Pour juice from one large lemon over layered stuffed leaves
- Boil 5 cups of water
- Pour water over layered stuffed leaves in sauce pan.
- Place a heavy dish on top of the stacks of layered leaves, so that they are being pressed down.
- Bring to boil.
- Lower flame and simmer, covered with heavy dish pressing down on layers for 45 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 1 hour.
grape leaves, onions, scallions, lemons, parsley, salt, pepper, rice, extra virgin olive oil, olive oil, hamburger, water
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/dolmades-greek-stuffed-grape-leaves-457041 (may not work)