Dolmades

DKP's Note:

This has been passed down from my grandfather to my mother. It is a Greek recipe for stuffed grape leaves.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 20

• 1 (8 ounce) jar grape leaves (about 25 leafs)
• 1 lb ground round
• 1 lb ground lamb (You can use two pounds of Ground round if you can't find ground lamb)
• salt , to taste
• pepper , to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley , minced
• 1 (4 ounce) box tabouli mix (I cup raw rice if you can't find Tabuli)
• 1 onion , fine chopped any size you want, I prefer mild sweet onion
• 1 garlic clove (crushed or pressed into meat mixture)
• 3 (16 ounce) cans chicken broth (you can use just water if you want.)
• 4 lemons, squeezed or 4 lemon juice , equivalent
• 4 eggs

Directions:

1. Drain, rinse and dry grape leaves.
2. Place off to the side.
3. In a large bowl mix ground round, Lamb, salt, pepper, minced parsley, onion chopped, crushed or pressed garlic and Tabuli (or rice); mix well.
4. Lay out one grape leaf stem up, place about 1 rounded tablespoon meat mixture near stem.
5. Fold stem up over meat mixture fold one side leaf over mixture, fold top over then roll the rest but not tight.
6. This is just like making a burrito.
7. I use toothpicks to keep the stuffed leaves together.
8. Place in at least 1 gal pot.
9. Continue until all leaves are filled and snug in pot.
10. If you run out of grape leaves that's okay, you can roll little balls of meat mixture and place in pot.
11. Cover all stuffed leaves with chicken broth adding water if you don’t have enough broth, more broth if you have it on hand (you can use just water if you want).
12. Bring the broth to a boil then turn heat to low, simmer and cook covered until tender (pierced with a fork) about 30 minutes.
13. Remove about 1 quart of broth from pot and let cool down a little.
14. You want it hot just not scalding hot.
15. In another bowl beat 4 eggs until frothy adding slowly juice from lemon.
16. Take the warmed broth and add to the egg mixture slowly a 1/2 ladle at a time still beating the egg mixture.
17. After all broth is mixed with egg & lemon slowly add to pot on stove.
18. Cover the pot and turn flame off.
19. Let sit for about 10 minutes then serve.
20. I like it tart and rich so I use more eggs and lemon then the recipe calls for.
21. You can experiment how many eggs and lemon you want for the egg lemon broth.
22. Leftover broth in pot makes good Avgolemono (Egg Lemon soup).

Reviews

[Ardenia]

Yum! I have never had these before but we had a greek themed dinner and these looked like a perfect addition. Next time I will use the broth for lemon rice soup. Thanks!

[Chef #1486120]

I made this last night and it was fabulous . The only thing I changed is I got about 2 cups of the broth from the cooked dolmades so I used juice from 2 large lemons and 3 eggs. Although it was still very thin, the taste was great. My husband was anticipating grate leftovers tonight. Also, I did not have tabouli mix but I did have some couscous so I just measured out about 4 oz and added some dried mint and parsley. Worked just fine.

[Tanya Farley]

I added a bunch of scallions, a bunch of dill chopped and sauteed first. A small can of tomato paste and I doubled the rice to 2 cups. You don't have to secure them with toothpicks if you use the old Greek way and cover the dolmades with heavy dinner plates to keep them together while cooking. Also, I cooked an hour and a half. Delicious!!!