Rice makes the difference in these delicious dolmas

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, May 15, 2007

By early May, in the vineyards of Greece, tender young grape leaves are collected in vast quantities and brought into the kitchen.

While fresh and vibrant, some are used immediately to prepare the popular regional specialty we know as dolmas. The remaining leaves are wrapped in bunches of 50 or so in aluminum foil and placed in the freezer.

That way, no matter the time of year, parties won’t be “dolmas-challenged.”

As the row of grapevines stretching along a rear portion of our home come to life each spring, the preparation of my own dolmas is always a delightful pasttime. And so one day, while I was working with an Oregon State University student intern, I decided we’d do just that.

In preparation, Michiru Kobayashi had researched the variety of fillings one could use in dolmas without undermining its authenticity. It’s quite a range, really. Some are vegetarian in nature, calling for a various grains, as well as pinenuts, fava beans and raisins. Others bring meats into the formula. And many rely on fresh mint for seasoning.

After devising an original filling on paper, Kobayashi and I readied ourselves for the first round of testing. The foundation was to be lentils, ground lamb, fennel and onion. Extra seasonings included cumin, garlic and white pepper.

To see if we were headed in the right direction flavorwise, we microwaved a spoonful of the raw mixture and analyzed the results. Both of us agreed it needed a tad more salt and garlic. And then Kobayashi, tactful as always, gently said, “I was wondering, why is it you did not include rice?”

I took that as a big yes for rice from the OSU camp. So before moving ahead to round two, we added some. The result really was delicious, so if you enjoy the following recipe for dolmas, you owe a very large thank you to Kobayashi. Personally, I think it’s fabulous.

3/4cup lentils

1/2cup uncooked medium-grain rice

2cups water

1 1/2cups finely chopped onion

1/2cup finely chopped fennel bulb

2teaspoons finely minced garlic

3tablespoons olive oil

1/2pound ground lamb (as lean as possible)

1/2pound extra-lean ground beef

1tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2teaspoon salt

1teaspoon ground allspice

1/2teaspoon white pepper

3cups chicken broth

3tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3-6garlic cloves, peeled and halved

30-40fresh grape leaves (see note below), stems removed

Lemon sauce (recipe follows)

Place lentils, rice and 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes; remove from heat.

Saute the onion, fennel and garlic in the olive oil over medium-high heat until the onions are transparent and tender; remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the cooled onion mixture and lentils with the lamb, beef, cumin, allspice, salt and pepper, mixing well.

To prepare the dolmas, spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling onto stem end of a grape leaf; fold stem end over the filling, then fold sides of leaves over filling to enclose and, from stem end, roll the package jelly roll fashion. As the leaves are filled and rolled, lay them, seam-side down, in the bottom of a heavy skillet, fitting them together neatly, but not too tightly (they will expand slightly as they cook). Because this recipe makes about 30 or 40 dolmas (depending on the size), you will either have to use two skillets, or cook the dolmas in two batches.

Mix the chicken broth and the lemon juice in a container. Pour enough of the broth over the grape leaves so that they are just covered; add 6 garlic halves to the skillet. Place a heavy ovenproof plate, slightly smaller than the diameter of the skillet, over the top of the dolmas to keep them from moving around and unrolling during cooking. Cook at a slow simmer over medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, just until the meat has cooked through and the dolmas appear slightly plumped. Toward the end of the cooking, if your lamb is particularly high in fat, you may have to spoon off some of the broth as the fat is released from the meat.

While dolmas are cooling, prepare the sauce.

Dolmas may be served hot, cold, or at room temperature. The sauce can be set out for dipping or drizzled over the dolmas before serving. Dolmas will keep in the refrigerator (cover them with a bit of the cooking liquid and perhaps some olive oil) for up to 3 days, or frozen for 6 months.

Yields approximately 30 to 40 dolmas.

Note on grape leaves: If you have a source for fresh, chemical-free grape leaves, then you are lucky. To use in this recipe, they need only be rinsed; cut the stems off at the base where they encounter the leaf. To store future batches of leaves, simply stack up to 50 leaves and wrap tightly in foil. Remember, if you use leaves that have been packed in brine, they need a thorough soaking and rinsing before you can proceed with your recipe.

Lemon sauce: Whisk together 2 egg yolks in a small bowl and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small pan, over medium heat, then whisk in 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour, stirring until smooth. Add 1 cup of hot cooking liquid from the dolmas, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a simmer and begins to thicken. Reduce the heat. Stir a couple of tablespoonfuls of the hot broth mixture into the egg yolks, then slowly add the egg yolk mixture to the broth, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice and continue stirring and cooking until the sauce has thickened a bit more. Stir in 2 teaspoons finely chopped Italian parsley. Adjust seasonings, adding salt if desired.

Yields about 1 1/2 cups sauce.

Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can e-mail her at janrd@proaxis.com