Grape Leaves Stuffed with Lamb,Rice and Herbs

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Grape Leaves Stuffed with Lamb, Rice and Herbs is a wonderful Turkish recipe. If fresh grape leaves are not available to you, buy them in bottles. They come in all size bottles, tightly folded together and preserved in brine.

Mint, Parsley and Dill make up the Turkish trilogy of herbs. They had so much flavor to the lamb and rice. Rolling the meat, rice and herbs into the grape leaves is similar to rolling the meat mixture in Stuffed Cabbage. It starts out being a bit tedious; but after a few, you get into a rhythm and before you know it’s done. Place the Grape Leaves Stuffed with Lamb, Rice and Herbs in a Dutch Oven with water and lemon juice, cover with parchment and steam. The cooking aroma is almost as fabulous as the taste when they’re done. Eat these hot or at room temperature. Call them finger food or use a knife and fork. These Dolmas (Turkish for stuffed Grape Leaves) are a real treat.

For a vegetarian version of this recipe, try Grape Leaves Stuffed with Rice and Herbs

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Lamb, Rice and Herbs

By Gloria Kobrin Published: February 7, 2014

  • Yield:

  • 36

Ingredients

  • 1 8-Ounce Bottle Preserved Grape Leaves Drained
  • 1 Pound Ground Lamb
  • 1 Large Onion minced
  • 3/4 Cup Long Grain Rice
  • 1 Cup- Each Flat Leaf Parsley, Mint, Dill Chopped
  • 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 3 Large Lemons
  • freshly ground pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 3 Mixing Bowls Small, Medium, Large
  • Electric Food Processor
  • Dutch Oven More Shallow and Wide than Deep and Tall
  • Baking Parchment
  • Baking Pellets Wrapped in Foil To Form a Flat Package That Will Fit in Dutch Oven

Directions

  1. Shake grape leaves out of jar into mixing bowl. You might have to pull on the top ones gently to ease them out. Cover leaves with boiling water and let them soak 20-25 minutes. Separate leaves carefully with a fork. They will probably be bunched together in groups of five or six and connected through their stems. Separate leaves, trim stems, and rinse each leaf separately in cold water. Drain and set aside.
  2. Mix onion with ground lamb, rice and chopped herbs. Season with black pepper. Add one tablespoon olive oil and mix thoroughly.
  3. Lay one grape leaf down on a flat surface with the tip of the stem facing you. Pinch off about two tablespoons of lamb mixture and gently form a log. Place the log toward the top of grape leaf. Keep folding leaf over meat until you reach the side leaves. Fold in each side and continue rolling until you have a tight neat roll. Repeat this process until you have rolled up all the meat.
  4. Arrange stuffed grape leaves in tight concentric circles in Dutch oven. You will have at least two layers and maybe a little bit more.
  5. Mix remaining three tablespoons olive oil with juice of 1 large lemon and 2/3 cup water. Pour this mixture over stuffed grape leaves. Add more water if the liquid doesn’t come up at least half way up the top layer. Bring liquid to boil over medium heat. Cover with a piece of parchment and lay baking pellets wrapped in foil on top. Cover pot. Lower heat and steam Stuffed Grape Leaves for 45 minutes. Test one. The mixture should be soft-no crunchy rice. Serve hot with wedges of lemon.