Delicious dolmas made with age-old technique
At my last cooking class, I was asked to demonstrate how to prepare stuffed grape leaves, which in Greek are called dolmas or dolmathes. The origin of dolmathes goes back to the former Ottoman Empire.
Some historians speculate that dolmathes were already popular during the early Byzantine period in Greece, taking its Turkish name later. The dish became quite popular and is now prepared in most countries in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Greece and Turkey.
Dolma is a verbal noun of the Turkish verb dolmak, which means to be stuffed or "stuffed thing."
The most well-known style is the wrapped grape leaf or cabbage, which is called yaprak dolma or sarma. Other vegetables commonly stuffed are zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and peppers. The stuffing may contain meat, rice or a combination of meat and rice.
This week's recipes include both a vegetarian and a ground beef stuffing. I recommend that you use seasonal fresh vegetables for your dolmas.
RICE AND GROUND BEEF DOLMAS
Rice stuffing and ground beef stuffing (recipes follow)
2 16-ounce jars grape leaves (found in most supermarkets), drained and rinsed thoroughly, see cook's notes
Water
1⁄2 cup Meyer lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Beef broth, optional
Cook's notes: Rinse each grape leaf individually under cold running water. Set aside and reserve any leaves that are too small to stuff. On the stuffing leaves, cut off the stems and place them on the rim of a large colander to drain.
Preparation
Have two large (8-inch) pots ready — one for the rice-stuffed leaves and one for the beef-stuffed leaves — and two heat-proof plates with a diameter that just fits inside the pots.
Cover the bottom of both pots with the small grape leaves. They will protect the dolmas from the heat.
On a large, flat work surface, take one large grape leaf at a time and place it veiny side up.
First stuff the rice-filled leaves. Place 1 to 1-1⁄2 tablespoons of the rice stuffing in the center of the leaf and gently mold it into the shape of a date. Fold in the sides and roll the leaf snugly from bottom to top, making sure the stuffing stays firmly in the center.
Repeat the steps until the rice stuffing is used up. Place a layer of the rice-stuffed dolmas side by side in one pot with no space in between. Then make a second layer and so on. Cover the last layer with more of the small grape leaves.
Invert a plate over the leaves and add fill the pot with water just to the top of the last layer of dolmas. Add lemon juice and oil. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to one hour.
Remove the pot from the heat, uncover and let it cool for 15 minutes before transferring the dolmas to a serving dish.
For the beef-stuffed dolmas, repeat the steps as for the rice-stuffed dolmas, except instead of cooking the beef ones in water, you might prefer to use beef broth.
The best accompaniment for the dolmas is a fresh tzatziki dip (made with yogurt, lemon juice, grated cucumber, salt and olive oil).
RICE STUFFING
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces butter
2 cups pre-cooked long-grain basmati rice
2 medium zucchini, diced and lightly sautéed (see cook's notes)
1⁄2 onion, peeled, diced and lightly sautéed (see cook's notes)
1⁄2 cup dried apricots, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1 farm-fresh egg
Kosher salt, curry and ground coriander, to taste
1⁄4 cup Meyer lemon juice
Cook's notes: Sauté the zucchini and onion in 3 ounces of butter for five minutes over low heat.
Preparation
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate for 15 minutes before using.
GROUND BEEF STUFFING
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
1⁄2 onion, peeled, finely diced finely and lightly sautéed (see cook's notes)
1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped
Kosher salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and ground coriander, to taste
1 farm-fresh egg
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts, chopped
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
Cook's notes: Sauté the onion in 3 ounces of butter for five minutes over low heat.
Preparation
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate for 15 minutes before using.
Salim Ben Mami is head chef and owner of Café Collage restaurant in Oregon House, Calif. Contact him at 530-692-2555 or ccollage@succeed.net. His website is cafecollage.net.
