Ground lamb is seasoned with warm spices and tomato then wrapped in blanched fresh grape leaves for a surprisingly delicate appetizer or main course.
Stuffed Grape Leaves with Lamb
Traditionally, a long grain rice like Basmati is used for stuffing. I prefer the taste and texture of a medium grain such as Calrose but use whatever white rice you have on hand. A pro tip for layering the grape leaves into the cooking pot: stack them in a circle, leaving the center empty. You’ll be adding a plate to weigh down the leaves as they cook. By layering the leaves in a circle you ensure that all of the rolled grape leaves will come into contact with the plate. Most plates aren’t perfectly flat so if you stack the leaves willy-nilly into the pot, the leaves in the center will not be weighted down with the upside down plate and as the rice expands, they will unfurl during the cooking process.
prep time: 1 HOUR
cook time: 40 MINUTES
total time: 1 HOUR 40 MINUTES
Ingredients .
1 cup medium grain rice
TO PREP THE LEAVES:
40 fresh grape leaves, washed well1 tablespoon Kosher saltBoiling hot water
FOR THE FILLING:
1 pound ground lamb
1 ½ cups chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup chopped cilantro, leaves and stems
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions chopped, white and green parts
2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 rounded teaspoon allspice
1 rounded teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
TO BRAISE:
1 lemon, sliced
1 large roma tomato, sliced
1 can Original V8 juice
1 quart chicken stock, plus 2-3 cups more if needed Water, optional, as needed
TO SERVE:
½ cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
Chopped parsley
lemon wedges
Directions
Add rice to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.
Layer grape leaves in a 9-inch x 13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak while you prepare filling.
To a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for the filling. Add the drained rice. Mix well to incorporate.
Cover the bottom of a stock pot with the lemon and tomato slices and place pot near your work surface.
Pull four grape leaves from the casserole dish. Hold leaf by stem and gather it around the base where it attaches to the leaf. Trim away the stem and the base where it was attached. Repeat with three more leaves. Place the four trimmed leaves vein-side up on a work surface with the top tips facing away from you. Add a tablespoon of filling in the center of each leaf just about the area you trimmed. Form the stuffing into a log.
Starting with the leaf closest to you, pull the bottom two parts of the leaf up and over the stuffing. Place fingertips of both hands on the now covered stuffing and slowly roll back, tucking the tips of the leaves under the stuffing. Then roll up halfway. Tuck in the two sides of the leaves (as if you’re rolling a burrito) then continue rolling and tucking as you go until the tip of the top leaf is under the stuffing. Place the rolled grape leaf into the stock pot with one end of the rolled leaf touching pot wall. Repeat with the remaining leaves, adding them to the pot stacked upon each other in a circle formation always with one end touching the pot wall, leaving the center of the pot empty.
Once all leaves have been rolled and layered into the pot, pour in the V8 juice. Place the pot on medium high heat. Put a plate upside into the pot to weigh the grape leaves down (a salad or dessert plate works best for me). Pour in the chicken stock until it covers the plate. If you need more liquid to cover plate, use water or more stock. To ensure the plate doesn’t flip or move out of place during cooking, add a small heat-proof bowl half-filled with water on top of the dish. Once the liquid comes to a bowl, immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1½ hours.
Carefully remove the bowl and plate from the pot. Let the grape leaves rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Just before serving, combine the yogurt with the olive oil and salt in a small bowl. Top with the chopped parsley.
Serve the grape leaves with some of the broth poured over top and with some Greek yogurt on the side for dipping enjoy.
