Grape Leaves Stuffed With Prosciutto Dried Fruit And Herbed Rice Food

DOLMAS (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES) RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Gently remove the grape leaves from their jar, then rinse each thoroughly under cold water, taking care not to rip the leaves. Pat the leaves dry and place on a cutting board.
• Using a small, sharp paring knife, remove the stems from the leaves.
• Cover with a paper towel and set aside.
• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, adding the onion, garlic, parsley, and basil once the oil is hot. Stir continuously until the onion is soft and fragrant, about 6 minutes.
• Add the rice and pine nuts (if using) and sauté, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes longer.
• Add 4 cups of the vegetable broth and bring to a low boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, adding water if necessary.
• Add 1/3 cup of the lemon juice , stirring well to combine, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the pan from heat.
• Prepare a dry, clean workspace. Place one of the grape leaves, shiny side down, flat on your work surface. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling on the lower-middle portion of the leaf, right above where the stem used to be.
• Fold in the sides of the leaves over the center.
• Then roll the bottom of the leaf over the filling and continue to roll, holding the sides in, until you've rolled the dolma completely and no filling is visible.
• Place the dolma seam-side down in a large saucepan or pot that's big enough to fit all of the dolmas in a single layer.
• Repeat until all of the grape leaves are used, placing one dolma directly next to the other and leaving no space in between.
• Drizzle another 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the dolmas, followed by the remaining lemon juice.
• Pour the remaining 4 cups of vegetable broth over the grape leaves to cover.
• Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour (do not boil). Add water as necessary to keep grape leaves covered.
• Remove the pan from the heat, uncover, and let the dolmas cool in the liquid for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, gently transfer the dolmas to a serving dish. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and serve cold or at room temperature.

GRAPE LEAVES STUFFED WITH PROSCIUTTO, DRIED FRUIT, AND HERBED RICE

Steps:

• Rinse grape leaves in several changes of cold water and in a large saucepan of boiling water blanch 3 minutes. In a colander drain leaves and refresh under cold water. Drain leaves well.
• Toast pine nuts golden and chop separately onion, prosciutto, raisins, dill, and parsley. In a saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil with salt and stir in rice. Cook rice, covered, over moderately low heat until water is absorbed, 17 to 20 minutes, and transfer to a large bowl. In a heavy skillet cook onion in 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat, stirring, until tender and golden and stir into rice with pine nuts, prosciutto, raisins, dill, parsley, currants, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste until combined well.
• Arrange 1 grape leaf, smooth side down, on a kitchen towel. Trim stem flush with leaf (if leaf is large, trim to 5‚ inches across), reserving stem and any trimmings. Spoon about 1 tablespoon filling onto leaf near stem end and roll up filling tightly in leaf, folding in sides and squeezing roll to pack filling. (Roll should be about 3 1/2 inches long.) Make more rolls in same manner.
• In a saucepan heat broth just to a simmer and keep warm, covered. Line bottom of a 3-quart heavy saucepan with reserved stems and trimmings and any remaining grape leaves and arrange rolls, seam sides down, close together in layers over leaves, seasoning each layer with salt. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining 3 tablespoons lemon juice over rolls and cover with an inverted heatproof plate slightly smaller than diameter of pan, pressing down lightly. Add just enough broth to come up to rim of plate and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook rolls, covered with plate and a lid, 50 minutes, or until leaves are tender and most of liquid is absorbed.
• Remove pan from heat and cool rolls, covered. Using plate to hold back rolls, pour off remaining liquid and transfer rolls to another plate, discarding stems, trimmings, and grape leaves. Stuffed grape leaves may be made 5 days ahead and chilled, covered.
• Halve stuffed grape leaves diagonally and serve at room temperature or chilled.

MY OWN FAMOUS STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the rice, onion, dill, and mint for about 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Pour in 1 quart of broth, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until rice is almost cooked. Stir in 1/2 of lemon juice and remove from heat.
• Take one leaf, shiny side down, and place 1 teaspoon of the rice mixture at the bottom (stem) end of the leaf. Fold both sides of the leaf towards the center, roll up from the broad bottom to the top, and place into a 4-quart pot. Repeat with all leaves, leaving no gaps as leaves are placed in pot (to prevent from opening while cooking). Sprinkle with remaining lemon juice and with olive oil.
• Pour chicken broth over all to cover grape leaves. Cover pot and simmer for about 1 hour (do not boil, because this will make the stuffing burst out of the leaves). Remove from heat, remove cover and let cool for 1/2 hour. Transfer to serving dish and serve.

GRAPE LEAVES STUFFED WITH RICE, RAISINS, AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• If using grape leaves preserved in brine, remove the salt by putting them in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Make sure that the water penetrates well between the layers. Leave them to soak for 20 minutes, then rinse in fresh, cold water and drain. If using fresh leaves, plunge a few at a time in boiling water for a couple of seconds only, until they become limp, then lift them out. Cut off and discard the stalks.
• For the filling, fry the onions in 3 tablespoons of the oil until soft. Add the pine nuts and stir until they are golden. Stir in the tomato paste, then add all the rest of the ingredients down to and including the chopped dill. Mix well.
• On a plate, place the first leaf, vein side up, with the stem end facing you. Put one heaped teaspoonful of filling in the center of the leaf near the stem end. Fold that end up over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle and roll up like a small cigar. Squeeze the filled roll lightly in the palm of your hand. Fill the rest of the leaves in the same way. This process will become very easy after you have rolled a few.
• Line the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed pan with tomato slices and any leftover, torn, or imperfect grape leaves, then pack the stuffed grape leaves tightly on top.
• Mix the remaining olive oil with 2/3 cup water, add the sugar and lemon juice, and pour over the stuffed leaves. Put a small plate on top of the leaves to prevent them from unrolling, cover the pan, and simmer very gently for about 1 hour, until the rolls are thoroughly cooked, adding more water occasionally, a small coffee cupful at a time, as the liquid in the pan becomes absorbed. Let the stuffed grape leaves cool in the pan before turning them out.