Stuffed Vine Leaves

Ingredients

• 300g preserved vine leaves in brine (about 40-50 leaves)
• 300g long-grain rice (not risotto rice)
• 1 large onion, very finely chopped
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large bunch fresh dill, finely chopped (about 40g)
• 1 large bunch fresh mint, finely chopped (about 30g)
• ½ bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• Juice of 2 large lemons, plus extra for serving
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 400ml hot vegetable stock or water
• Greek yoghurt or avgolemono sauce, to serve

Method

1. Remove the vine leaves from their jar and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to remove excess salt from the brine. Place them in a large bowl, cover with boiling water, and leave to soak for 10 minutes. This softens them and removes more of the brine. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Carefully remove any thick stems.

2. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch and prevents the filling from being too sticky. Drain well and place in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add the finely chopped onions, spring onions, garlic, dill, mint, parsley, 100ml of the olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to the rice. Mix everything together thoroughly with your hands - this distributes the herbs evenly and the aromatics are incredible. The rice is used raw; it will cook inside the vine leaves.

4. Now comes the rolling - it takes practice but is quite meditative once you get into a rhythm. Take a vine leaf and place it shiny-side down on your work surface with the stem end closest to you. If the leaf is very large, you can cut it in half; if it has holes or tears, overlap two smaller leaves.

5. Place a heaped teaspoon of the rice mixture (about 15g) in the centre of the leaf near the stem end. Don't overfill - the rice will expand during cooking. Fold the stem end up over the filling, then fold in both sides, and roll up tightly towards the tip of the leaf, rather like a small cigar. It should be firm but not too tight as the rice needs room to expand. Place seam-side down in a heavy-based pan as you go.

6. Line the bottom of a large, heavy-based pan (with a lid) with any torn or imperfect vine leaves - this prevents the dolmades from sticking and burning. Arrange the rolled dolmades tightly in a single layer, seam-side down. If you need a second layer, that's fine - just pack them snugly so they don't unroll during cooking.

7. Drizzle the remaining 50ml of olive oil and the juice of 1 lemon over the dolmades. Place a heatproof plate directly on top of the dolmades to weight them down and keep them submerged - this is essential or they may unroll. Pour enough hot stock or water to just cover the plate.

8. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce to very low, cover with the lid, and cook for 45-50 minutes. Check after 30 minutes - if the liquid has been absorbed, add a little more hot water. The rice should be fully cooked and tender, and the leaves soft. The dolmades will have a glossy appearance.

9. Remove from heat and leave to cool in the pan for 15 minutes with the lid on. This allows them to set properly. Carefully remove the plate and lift out the dolmades with a slotted spoon. They should hold their shape beautifully.

10. Serve warm or at room temperature (never straight from the refrigerator) with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a dollop of Greek yoghurt or traditional avgolemono sauce. Dolmades are wonderful as part of a mezze spread or as a starter. They keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and actually improve in flavour after a day. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.