Vine Dining

Photo © Rob Jones

Dolmades

Find it on the menu as ντολμάδες

I was always a bit so-so about Dolmades - little parcels of spiced rice, wrapped mainly in Vine leaves.

To me they always seemed a little bland.

But the further I peered into the recipe books, the more I realised I was missing out on a big world of joy.

Yes, the basic recipe is as follows:

Vine leaves, if you can get them, need to be washed, de-stemmed and blanched in hot water before use, setting them aside to dry out before the assembly stage. Cabbage leaves are a good back-up.

For the filling.. cook and rinse the rice.

In a pan, add 100ml of Olive Oil, and some chopped onions. Cook the onion till it begins to look a little see-through, but not caramelised. Add the rice. And about a mug of warm water. Squeeze in the juice of a lemon. Cook until all the water is absorbed. Season well with salt, pepper and herbs - parsley, basil or dill work well.

To assemble - lay the vine leaf shiny side down, add the filling and then fold first the lower part of the leaf over the filling, then the left and right tightly, and finally the top down, ending with a stumpy cigar effect.

Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper.

It’s not over yet.

Place in a pan with enough water to cover them, and a plat on top to stop them unravelling. Simmer gently for 30 minutes or so. Hey Presto.

Good as a finger buffet, or as a meze with other dishes.

But a good alternative is to fill them with either beef or lamb mince - cooked before assembly.

Some recipes also suggested fruit or sea food. Not sure about that.

I served mine with a little more olive oil and some harissa paste.

R.