This marvel from the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East is known as far away as Asia. Every country has its own version. It is just as popular on the shores of the Black Sea where stuffed vine leaves are often eaten in summer. Served as a starter, and accompanied by yoghurt or cottage cheese.
Today I share with you this family recipe that takes me back to my childhood.
At a time when vine leaves did not yet exist in jars and our unofficial supplier was the local vineyard. Rest assured, the few vines leaves here and there did not put him out of business.
If your grape leaves are fresh, remove the stems and blanch them for 2 to 3 minutes in simmering water before using them.
The basis of the filling is rice, carrots, parsley, and dill. Diced meat is added to this base and sautéed over low heat. When the rice becomes pearly and translucent, it is ready!
Then comes the crucial step, the folding of the vine leaves. It’s very simple, you just need a little patience. See for yourself.
Finally, line a pan with some grape leaves and add your delicious stuffed leaves. Optionally add a little dill if you like. For the rest of the instructions, print out the recipe.
Bon appétit “Da vi e Slatko” as we say in Bulgaria!
Stuffed vine leaves
For 30-odd stuffed grape leaves – Difficulty: medium
Preparation: 30 min – Cooking time: 50 min
Ingrédients
- 30-40 vine leaves
- 200 grams of ground beef
- 200 grams of rice
- 1 carrot
- 4 spring onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- a few sprigs of parsley
- 1 bunch of dill
- salt, pepper, thyme
- olive oil
Mix the herbs, carrot, garlic, and spring onions with a little oil. Add a little olive oil to a pan and fry the vegetables with the minced meat.
Then add the rice and mix well. When the rice starts to become translucent and pearly, add a glass of water to cover it slightly. Fry on low heat for 15 minutes, then transfer the filling to a bowl and leave to cool before folding the vine leaves.
Line a pan with vine leaves and place the rolls on top. Cover with a plate and add water to cover it. Simmer for 40-50 minutes, checking that there is still some water in the pan.
