As soon as the first of the seasons vine leaves sprouted and were large enough for filling, one of mum’s favourite dishes, dolmades with avgolemono (egg-lemon sauce), would be on the table. Mum would always pick the most tender leaves from a vine in the garden that had been specially grown for the extra large, soft leaves. She would also make her own veal mince from scratch, after scrupulously cleaning every single piece of meat. The little bundles of rice, meat and fresh herbs would be finished with a thick, rich avgolemono sauce, with just the right amount of tanginess. To make the perfect meal, mum would always serve her dolmades alongside some fried potatoes, feta and perhaps a little salad. If the weather was very hot, mum would also have one very, very tiny glass of Greek beer.
Mum’s dolmades are very easy to make, once you get into the swing of filling and rolling them. I guarantee that after you have tried homemade dolmades, you’ll never be tempted to buy the overly briny, claggy tinned ones ever again. Now is also the time to make them. From backyards in Marickville to vineyards in the Hunter, grape leaves are abundant right now. The lush, green leaves shade fruit that is still month or so from ripeness, but now’s the time to eat the leaves. In just a few more weeks, the leaves will turn tough and stringy as the fruit is ready to serve and you’ll have to wait until late Spring to enjoy this delicious family meal.
Dolmades avgolemono
Ντολμαδάκια αυγολέμονο
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh vine leaves
- 2 wine glasses of 'kitrino'rice soaked in warm water for at least 10 minutes and rinsed well.
- 500 g homemade veal mince
- 2-3 onions finely grated
- 2-3 cloves garlic choped
- 1 wine glass EVOO
- 1 bunch fresh dill finely chopped
- 1/2 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 bunch fresh mint finely chopped
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon juiced
For the avgolemono
- 2 lemons juiced
- 2 eggs yolk only
- 1 tbs cornflour
- 1/2 tea cup cooking broth from the dolmades
Instructions
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If the vine leaves are very fresh, then you will need to blanch them in boiling water for 5 minutes or until they just change colour. Place in chilled water and then drain. Lay the smallest leaves on the bottom of the pot that you will use to cook the dolmades.
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For the filling: Place a frypan on medium heat. Add a little oil and fry the mince until light brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add a little more oil and fry the onion and garlic until soft and fragrant. Add the rice to the pan and coat well in the fragrant oil, let it toast a little. Season and then add a cup of water. Simmer until the rice absorbs the water but is still al dente. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool. Once cool, add the fresh herbs and the cooked mince. Mix well to combine.
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Fill the leaves: Place the vine leaves on a shiny side down on a board. Cut the stalk from the base of the leaf. On each leaf add one tablespoon of the filling mixture. Fold up the bottom of the leaf and then fold in the two sides (left to right) and roll up.
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Place the rolls, seam side down in tightly packed rows. Cover with an upturned, heat-proof plate. Add water so that it comes just up to the level of the rolls and a little oil. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered with a lid for about 1 hour. After the first 30 mins, add juice of 1 lemon. Once cooked, remove from the heat.
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For the avgolemono: Set aside 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid from the dolmades. in a seperate bowl, beat the eggs yolk with the lemon juice and cornflour. Gradually add the warm reserved cooking broth to the egg-lemon mixture and keep whisking all the time. Pour the avgolemono sauce back into the dolmades, place on a low heat and shake the pot gentley to distribute the sauce evenly and let it bind. Do not bring to the boil or the sauce will split. Serve immediatley.
