Dolmades
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- Yield Makes 36
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1/2 cup currants
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
- One 1-pound jar vine leaves, rinsed
Directions
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Place pepper directly on the trivet of a gas-stove burner over high heat. As each section turns puffy and black, turn pepper with tongs. (If you don't have a gas stove, place pepper on a baking pan, and broil, turning as each side chars.) Transfer pepper to a small bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Let sweat until it is cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a work surface. Peel off and discard blackened skin. Cut pepper into 1/4-inch dice, discarding seeds and inner membranes; transfer to a bowl; set aside.
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Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Add onion, oregano, and salt; cook until onion is beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl with red pepper. Add cooked brown rice, currants, parsley, zest, and all but 1 tablespoon lemon juice; stir to combine.
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Remove stem from a rinsed vine leaf; lay leaf on work surface. Place 1 tablespoon filling at stem end; roll leaf tightly, tucking in ends. Repeat until all filling is used.
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Line an 8-inch saucepan with remaining leaves; arrange stuffed leaves, seam side down, in pan. They may be stacked in 2 layers. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon olive oil and remaining tablespoon lemon juice. Add enough water to the pan to just cover stuffed leaves; weight leaves for cooking with a kitchen plate or a lid smaller than the diameter of the pan.
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Place saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low; allow to simmer gently until leaves are tender, about 45 minutes. Transfer stuffed leaves to a serving platter, and allow to cool. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
I made these last night and they were incredibly delicious! I simmered the currents in for a few minutes to soften them up. I served them with tzatziki made with some garden lemon cucumbers and Greek yogurt and the zucchini pie in this menu. All fabulous.
"Dolma" is actually a traditional Turkish dish. The above recipe definitely sounds healthy, but is nowhere near the real thing. The secret to a great dolma is wafer-thin vine leaves, lots of olive oil, lemon salt and the right combination of spices (which should include currants and pine nuts as well. You can check out the following blog post for a more traditional recipe:
http://cafefernando.com/stuffed-vine-leaves-the-ultimate-dolma-machine