What do you think of when we say Mediterranean appetizers? Well, Basil and I instantly thought of dolmades, also known as stuffed vine leaves. These delicious and individually parcelled appetizers, while tricky to make, were most definitely our number one crowd pleaser. Despite their finicky nature, dolmades present the cook with a number of creative possibilities. They can be large or small; served hot or cold, as appetizers or as a main course; they might be made with lamb, or they might simply contain a combination of rice, spices, and dried fruits. In short, dolmades can be personalized and adapted to fit just about anyone's taste preferences.
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In fact, it is the highly adaptable nature of the dolmade recipe that explains its presence in most Mediterranean (and some Middle Eastern) countries. In Turkey they are called dolma and to most Iranians they are dolmeh, however, they each contain a common base: seasoned rice wrapped in a large green leaf. The prominence of meat and the varieties of seasonings differ from one region to another. In fact, the term dolma is not even Greek. In Turkish, dolma in refers to something being stuffed, and the suffix ade refers to something small. In short, when we eat dolmades we are eating small stuffed things.
Although many Greeks might argue that dolmades were served to the gods atop Mount Olympus, some of the first historical references to the dish can be found in the first century A.D. At this time though, recipes would likely have combined sweet and savory flavors. Some believe that meat was introduced to vine leaves during Alexander the Great’s siege of Thebes. As Thebians were besieged, food became so scarce that they shredded what little bits of lamb they had left and wrapped them in vine leaves.
Dolmades
are eaten in countries formerly part of the Ottoman Empire (this is why they do
not appear in Italian cooking;) however, the Greeks maintain that they
introduced the region to this delicacy.
Most of Greece’s modern borders were once part of the Ottoman Empire
from the mid-15th century until 1821, when Greece declared
independence. Ottoman trade routes were
advanced and Constantinople (the capital) was the chief marketplace where
eastern and western products, ideas, and technology were exchanged. These very trade routes would have allowed
the Empire’s territories to come into contact with new food traditions and
ingredients. While other regions were
learning how to stuff vine leaves with rice, spices, and meat, Greece was being
introduced to new flavors and spices coming from the East. It is perhaps because other regions were
adapting the Greek method of stuffing vine leaves that they became more flexible
with the types of leaves they stuffed. Based on what is locally available, many
regions adapted the recipe and broadened the category of acceptable stuffing
leaves to include swiss chard (which we used), cabbage, and kale.
Our
recipe honors both the history and the adaptability of the dolmade. Basil and I decided to make meatless dolmades in order to share the dish with our vegetarian friends. We also decided to use Swiss chard leaves
because they were in season and could be found locally. Given the meals larger Mediterranean theme,
we decided to stuff our leaves with risotto, rather than long-grain rice,
which is more commonly used. Moreover,
the risotto played double duty in another of our appetizers (keep you eyes open
for our arancini post) and allowed us to save time by integrating the same recipe into two dishes. In general,
when you’re cooking a lot of different dishes for a big group of people, it’s a
good idea to use similar ingredients and preparations in order to cut down on
prep time (as well as keep your menu coherent). We decided to serve them cold because they
contrasted our two other warm appetizers.
Overall, we were impressed with the results and it is safe to say based
on our friend’s feedback that these individually packages appetizers were our
Mediterranean superstars.
Lots of love,
Lavender
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Ingredients
Olive oil
One
large, finely diced onion
4-5
scallions
1 cup dry white wine or
vermouth
2
cups rice
6-8 cups vegetable stock
· ¼
cup fennel fronds
· ¼
cup flat leaf parsley
· ¼
cup fresh mint
· ¼
pine nuts, chopped
· Juice
from one half lemon
2 large bunches of Swiss chard
Seasoning:
Olive oil
Salt
Cracked pepper
Lemon juice
In a
large saucepan.
Sauté in
olive oil:
- one large, finely diced onion
- 4-5 scallions
- 2 cups rice
Add vegetable stock one cup at a time. We had a really nice homemade mushroom one that really added to the recipe but, in the motto of our kitchen, use whatcha got!!
Risotto rice can be time consuming because you need to keep stirring it as the liquids dissolve. If you’re looking for a less labour intensive version:
- Cook your 2 cups of toasted rice and onions in 1 cup broth, 1 cup white wine, and 6-8 scant cups of water until rice is still slightly chewy.
While
your rice is cooking mix your herbs and other filling ingredients together in a
large bowl:
- ¼ cup fennel fronds
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley
- ¼ cup fresh mint
- ¼ pine nuts, chopped
- Juice from one half lemon
Cool your rice to room temperature once it is almost completely cooked but still slightly chewy.
Prepare your chard leaves:
The
important thing to keep in mind while making dolmades is that even though they
were traditionally made with grape leaves they can really be made with any
large leafy green. We used chard because it was in season. I look forward to
making these all winter long using Kale!
- Set a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil
- Set another bowl of cold water on the counter and drop a couple ice-cube trays worth of ice in it. This ice bath will stop the cooking process on the chard as soon as you take it out of the boiling water.
- Wash you chard leaves and remove only the very base of the spine (cutting a little “v” shape into the bottom of the leaves) in order to maintain the most surface area possible while also removing the toughest part of the stem
- Once the water has come to a rolling boil drop 2-3 leaves into the water and then immediately remove them and put them straight into the ice bath.
- Work your way systematically through all the leaves and lay your blanched chard out on a clean dry tea towel.
 |
| Swiss chard leaves drying on a tea towel |
Prepare your pot for steaming:
- Reserve any chard leaves that were too torn to use as wrappers and the stems to line your pot with for the final steaming process of the dolmades.
- Slice an onion and line the bottom of the pot with a layer of olive oil, a layer of onion and a layer of chard leaves and stems.
Once
your rice has cooled a bit and you’ve prepped all your chard leave, add the
rice to your herbs and nuts. Season the entire mixture with more olive oil,
salt, cracked pepper, and lemon juice.
Don’t be
afraid to be a bit heavy handed on the seasoning because the rice and leaves
absorb a lot of your flavors and you don’t want them to be bland.
Make
the dolmades:
- Place one heaping tablespoon of filling onto the base of your chard leave just above the “v” where you cut out the stem.
- Tuck the bottom ends over the filling and roll once.
- Tuck in the ends of the leaf and continue rolling fairly firmly to the top of the leaf.
- Place the dolmades into your pot with the leaves and onion base. Continue until the pot is snuggly filled with dolmas.
 |
| Dolmades should be place snuggly in a pot so that they do not move around while they are being steamed. |
- Pour a cup and a half of boiling water around the dolmades and put a small plat directly onto them.
- Let them steam on the stove top, compressed by the plate for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Remove from the pot and chill. Serve with half a lemon and more olive oil poured over top!
Bon appétit,
Basil
 |
| Your dolmades are ready to be served. Serve with lemon juice and olive oil. |
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