I had these kicking round the cupboard since last October and even though I knew what I was gonna do with them I still had to spend months hours researching recipes. There's a few recipes kicking round the interwebs and I took bits and pieces from a few of them and then just ended up doing my own thing anyway.
I've never used vine leaves before and they're right fiddly little blighters let me tell you. I would love to try this recipe using fresh vine leaves but the type I used are packed in brine and require soaking in hot water for 20 minutes first.
Dolmades
Ingredients
makes 18
2 oz long grain rice
1 small onion, chopped
1 tomato, skinned, seeded and chopped
Few sprigs of parsley
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 Tablespoon snipped chives
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Pinch of cinnamon
1 Tablespoon pine nuts
1 Tablespoon sultanas, chopped
1/4 teaspoon of salt
8 twists of freshly ground black pepper
250 grams vine leaves (if fresh boil for 4 mins then drain, if pickled soak in hot water for 20 mins then pat dry)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
150 ml vegetable stock
Juice from half a lime
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
Method
Boil the rice for 6 mins then drain. Place into a mixing bowl then add the onion, tomato, parsley, mint, chives, cumin, cinnamon, pine nuts, chopped sultans, salt and pepper. Mix all together.
Spread out a vine leaf with the veiny underside facing upwards and place a teaspoon and a half of the mixture in the centre of each leaf. Fold both the sides over into the middle then roll up roll up!
Place each rolled up vine leaf in a heavy bottomed saucepan squishing them in tightly. Tuck the garlic slices in between dolmades.
Mix the olive oil, vegetable stock and lime juice together in a jug and pour over the dolmades. Place the lid on top and simmer on a low heat for 1 hour.
Leave to cool before removing gently from the pan and SCOFF!
You'll be glad you did - these are yummalicious and I can't wait to make them again.
