STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES
| Many cultures have this dish, under a variety of names. |
| This version is a favorite that has worked well. |
You will need:
40 young grape leaves
Chopped grape tendril (leavings/bits & pieces when buying a jar of grape leaves)
1/2 cup uncooked rice
10 1/2 oz. ground turkey (or veal)
10 1/2 oz. ground pork
1 large onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup butter
1/4 cup + 3 tbsp flour
5 sprigs fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Paprika (to taste)
Pour boiling water over the grape leaves and let soak for 15
to 20 minutes. Then drain and wash in cold water. Prepare the
stuffing mixture.
STUFFING MIXTURE
Cook the rice in 1 cup of water until almost done and add the
ground meat. Saute the onion in 1/3 cup butter and add it to the
mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
COOKING THE STUFFED LEAVES
Place a mound of the filling in each grape leaf, fold in the
ends and roll them up. Arrange the stuffed leaves, rolled side
down, in a pot (soup pots work well). Shred any remaining
unfilled leaves and place them and the tendrils in between the
dtuffed leaves. Add enough water to cover the leaf rolls and
place a plate on top to weigh them down. Simmer until tender.
Once the leaves are finished cooking, remove them from the pan,
leaving the liquid that remains. This will be used to make a
finishing sauce.
FINISHING SAUCE
Prepare a roux with the remaining butter and flour. Add a few
tablespoons of the hot cooking liquid from the grape leaves, to
form a thick sauce, stirring constantly with a whisk to prevent
lumps. Add chopped dill, paprika, salt and pepper (to taste).
Take the roux and slowly stir it into the liquid left from
cooking the stuffed grape leaves, and let the mixture thicken.
Mix in the sour cream and bring to a boil. Remove the tendrils
and pour the sauce over the filled leaves. Serve.