Dolmades Greek Stuffed Grape Leaves

Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

• 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 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

Recipe

• 1 remove grape leaves from jar carefully.
• 2 rinse the leaves under cold water trying to preserve each leaf.
• 3 open leaves and place in colander let leaves drain but do not let dry out.
• 4 par-cook rice in water for about 1/2 the normal cook time and rice is still firm.
• 5 in pan cook meat, onions with 1tbsp pure olive oil until completely cooked.
• 6 discard any juice or extra oil from cooked meat.
• 7 in bowl mix cooked rice, meat onions and scallions.
• 8 mix in juice of one lemon.
• 9 salt and pepper mixture to taste.
• 10 assembly - one leaf at a time.
• 11 lay a leaf with shiny side down on to work surface.
• 12 scoop a rounded and packed tsp of the mixture and place it on the leaf where the veins join to become a stem.
• 13 if there is a stem just pinch it off and discard it.
• 14 fold the sides of the leaf in towards the middle.
• 15 roll the leaf up towards its point and keep tucking in the sides as you roll.
• 16 you want a firm package.
• 17 use olive oil to grease the bottom and sides of a large sauce pan.
• 18 place the stuffed and folded leaves carefully on the bottom of the pan with seams facing downwards,.
• 19 once the bottom of the pan is covered proceed to fill the next layer with more stuffed leaves until you run out of leaves.
• 20 pour juice from one large lemon over layered stuffed leaves
• 21 boil 5 cups of water
• 22 pour water over layered stuffed leaves in sauce pan.
• 23 place a heavy dish on top of the stacks of layered leaves, so that they are being pressed down.
• 24 bring to boil.
• 25 lower flame and simmer, covered with heavy dish pressing down on layers for 45 minutes.
• 26 remove from heat and let cool for 1 hour.