Stuffed Grape Leaves Redemption Adventure

“Ooo! Did you make these?” And there were the Trader Joe’s Greek stuffed grape leaves, right out of the can, taunting me. “No, these came from the store. They’re pretty good, though.” Enough was enough.

The previous dolmathes I’d made from scratch using Rena Salaman’s recipe hadn’t worked. The first ones were perfectly cooked inside, but the grape leaves were still tough. A second attempt resulted in over-rinsing the leaves, making the final dolmathes super bland.

The third time had to be the charm.

I bought a large jar of grape leaves from California at the local Mediterranean market and stocked up on fresh herbs, my own having been strafed by multiple summer hailstorms. Out came the giant nonstick pan. I unscrewed a new bottle of olive oil.

When guests asked whether I’d made them, I could finally smile and say, “Yes. Yes I did.”

The beauty of these dolmathes that they’re vegan, gluten-free, and quite tasty when done correctly. They compliment other mezze, notably warm pita with Wyatt’s homemade hummus from the Jerusalem cookbook.

Your fingers might get shriveled from working with the damp leaves, but it’s a small sacrifice for a delicious bit of redemption.

Dolmathes

Adapted from The Greek Cook

10 oz. preserved grape leaves (I used Orlando brand California grape leaves)
12 oz. yellow onion(s)
1 C. long grain or jasmine rice
1 small bunch fresh chives (about ⅓ oz.)
2 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts (optional)
4 Tbsp. fresh dill
3 Tbsp. fresh mint
2 Tbsp. flat leaf parsley
⅔ C. olive oil, divided
Juice from one lemon, about 2 Tbsp.
2 C. hot water
1 tsp. salt
Ground black pepper
1 or 2 small lemons cut into wedges to serve

If you can get your hands on fresh grape leaves, Salaman recommends blanching them briefly in batches in a pan of boiling water, lifting them out with a slotted spoon and draining them in a colander. She advises that they should just be wilted and pliable but not cooked.

Jars of preserved grape leaves vary greatly in size and saltiness. Take one and taste to find out. If they’re incredibly salty, you’ll want to rinse them well before moving to the next step. But don’t over-rinse or they’ll lose flavor. The Orlando brand ones didn’t need any rinsing.

Salaman suggests immersing preserved grape leaves in a bowl of hot water. Some need more help than that, though. Guillaume and I had good luck blanching the Orlando ones for a few seconds in boiling water in batches. Other kinds might need longer in the boiling water. You can sacrifice a couple leaves to experiment. They should be tender without tearing too easily.

Peel the yellow onions and either finely dice by hand or mince in a food processor. Salaman says to avoid grating since that makes them too wet. Don’t use sweet onions — the flavor gets washed out. The yellow onions taste quite sweet in the end.

Mince the chives and finely chop the dill, mint, and flat leaf parsley. Using tablespoons as measurements for fresh herbs drives me nuts so just try to keep the rough proportions. I bought small herb packs from the grocery store and each one was 0.66 oz. except for the parsley bunch, if that helps as a starting point.

In a large bowl, add the uncooked rice, onions, chives, dill, mint, parsley, and optional pine nuts. Mix well, and then stir in ⅓ C. of the olive oil and 1 Tbsp. of fresh lemon juice. Season with the salt and freshly ground pepper, and mix again.

Line the bottom of a large nonstick pan with several of the grape leaves so they cover it. Get out a large heatproof plate that fits inside the pan and set it aside. Measure out 2 C. of water into a small pan or microwaveable container.

Place one of the grape leaves on a cutting board with the veined side up. Place a heaping teaspoon of the stuffing near the stalk end. Fold the two opposite sides of the leaf over the stuffing and roll it up tightly from the stalk end, continuing to push in the sides as you go. I like to think of it as burrito-style rolling.

Repeat with the rest of the grape leaves and stuffing. If you have a little stuffing leftover, that’s fine. Arrange the rolled dolmathes in the prepared pan, seam-side down, in concentric circles. You want them to be snug.

Heat the water on the stovetop or in the microwave until steaming.

Mix the remaining ⅓ C. olive oil with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice and pour it over the dolmathes in the pan. Invert the plate over the dolmathes to hold them down and prevent them from unraveling.

Gently pour the hot water into the pan, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil on the stovetop. Lower the heat to a steady simmer and let it cook for 1 hour. Carefully remove the plate using tongs or spatulas. Test one of the stuffed grape leaves to make sure that the rice is cooked and the leaf is tender.

I like dolmathes cold to room temperature so I made them the night before the party, let them cool, refrigerated them, and then arranged them on a blue plate lined with grape leaves. Serve with the lemon wedges.