Dolmades
Dolmades (Dol-MAH-thes) have become a favourite at our family restaurant as well as in our home. I remember being a little girl and my mom would go out every year and harvest the grapevine leaves so that we could eat Dolmades all year long. She would take a needle and a thread and she would sew them in bundles of 50, dry them, and keep them in her cupboard all year long so that we could enjoy these amazing treats whenever we could. Meat was a luxury, so she often made these in a vegetarian version, which made them a bit smaller, but just as filling and delicious.Of course, times have changed, and you can find these leaves pickled and available at any Mediterranean/International grocery store. If you don’t have access to the leaves locally, you can plan this meal ahead by ordering them online. Here is a link to order them within Canada.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 jar pickled grape vine leaves
- 1 diced red onion
- 2 tbsp beef bouillon (beef base)
- 1 cup chopped dillweed, fresh
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley (or dry)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 cups long grain rice
- 1 + 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 whole lemon, juiced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, dillweed, beef base, red onion, salt, pepper, the beaten egg, long grain rice, and 1 cup of olive oil. Mix with your hands or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Rinse the grape vine leaves thoroughly to remove any salt from the jar and separate the good (large and flat leaves) and set aside. Of those leaves, cut the stems from the base of each leaf as they tend to be stringy and chewy if left on.
- Have a large saucepan set aside and ready to fill with dolmades.
- Put each rolled dolmade in the pot as you complete it until you run out of meat mixture or the pot is full. Fill the pot until the dolmades are just covered, place a plate upside-down on top of the dolmades (to prevent them from floating), cover with the lid and cook on the stovetop on medium-high heat for 45 minutes. Check one by cutting the center and making sure the meat is cooked through. If they’re still pink on the inside, cook for another 15 minutes.
- Allow the dolmades to cool for 10 minutes before serving to ensure they don’t fall apart when you remove them from the pot.
- To make the sauce: With a fork, beat the juice from one lemon with ½ cup of olive oil and drizzle it on top of each serving.
Notes
Gluten Friendly