Two Kinds of Dolmades
My mother and I have been making dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) for years, but we have very different recipes. Mom uses a recipe she got from Woman's Day when she was a newlywed in the early sixties. I use a recipe I got from a tourist cookbook I got in Greece in 1986.
Mom's Dolmades
1 lb. Ground beef (can substitute ground lamb or a mix of beef and lamb)
1 egg, beaten
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 t fresh mint leaves (or 1/4 t dried)
2 T olive oil
Water
Salt and pepper
Grape leaves, preferably canned
1 1/2 cups beef broth
Mix the meat and egg, then add the next 5 ingredients, plus 1/4 water. Season with salt and pepper. Rinse the grape leaves in warm water. Place a spoonful of the meat mixture in the center of a grape leaf, shiny side down. Fold in the sides, then roll fairly tightly until you have a cylindrical package. Place in a saucepan, and continue rolling more grape leaves until all the stuffing is used up. You may have more than one layer. Some of the grape leaves are likely to be torn, or otherwise unusable for wrapping. Place those in the bottom of the saucepan, underneath the dolmades, although this is more crucial in the other recipe.
Add the beef broth and 1 1/2 cups water to the pan. Cover and simmer 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold.
Maggie's Dolmades
This is from The Best Book of Greek Cookery by Chrissa Paradissos.
1 cup olive oil
1 lb. chopped onions
1 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup black currants
2 T mint
1 cup hot water
2 T pine nuts
1 T salt
1/4 t pepper
2 cans grape leaves
1 lemon
Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a frying pan and saute the onions until soft. Add the rice, and cooked, covered, five minutes. Add the currants, mint, hot water, pine nuts, salt and pepper and simmer five more minutes. Allow to cool.
Rinse the grape leaves in cold water. Sort through them, and place any that are torn or misshapen in the bottom of a saucepan. This step is quite crucial for this recipe, as otherwise the bottom later of dolmas are likely to burn a bit. Follow the directions in the recipe above to roll the grape leaves, and place in layers in the saucepan. Sprinkle with lemon juice, add the remaining half cup of olive oil, and 1 1/2 cups hot water. Place a plate over the dolmades to prevent them from opening, cover and simmer over low heat for one hour. Allow to cool in the pot and serve as a cold entree.
Mom's Dolmades
1 lb. Ground beef (can substitute ground lamb or a mix of beef and lamb)
1 egg, beaten
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 t fresh mint leaves (or 1/4 t dried)
2 T olive oil
Water
Salt and pepper
Grape leaves, preferably canned
1 1/2 cups beef broth
Mix the meat and egg, then add the next 5 ingredients, plus 1/4 water. Season with salt and pepper. Rinse the grape leaves in warm water. Place a spoonful of the meat mixture in the center of a grape leaf, shiny side down. Fold in the sides, then roll fairly tightly until you have a cylindrical package. Place in a saucepan, and continue rolling more grape leaves until all the stuffing is used up. You may have more than one layer. Some of the grape leaves are likely to be torn, or otherwise unusable for wrapping. Place those in the bottom of the saucepan, underneath the dolmades, although this is more crucial in the other recipe.
Add the beef broth and 1 1/2 cups water to the pan. Cover and simmer 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold.
Maggie's Dolmades
This is from The Best Book of Greek Cookery by Chrissa Paradissos.
1 cup olive oil
1 lb. chopped onions
1 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup black currants
2 T mint
1 cup hot water
2 T pine nuts
1 T salt
1/4 t pepper
2 cans grape leaves
1 lemon
Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a frying pan and saute the onions until soft. Add the rice, and cooked, covered, five minutes. Add the currants, mint, hot water, pine nuts, salt and pepper and simmer five more minutes. Allow to cool.
Rinse the grape leaves in cold water. Sort through them, and place any that are torn or misshapen in the bottom of a saucepan. This step is quite crucial for this recipe, as otherwise the bottom later of dolmas are likely to burn a bit. Follow the directions in the recipe above to roll the grape leaves, and place in layers in the saucepan. Sprinkle with lemon juice, add the remaining half cup of olive oil, and 1 1/2 cups hot water. Place a plate over the dolmades to prevent them from opening, cover and simmer over low heat for one hour. Allow to cool in the pot and serve as a cold entree.
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