* Photos are indicative.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the vine leaves. Place the vine leaves in a colander and pour plenty of cold water so that all the saltiness will be rinsed out. Then let them drain well so that all the water will be drawn out.
- Step 2: Prepare the stuffing. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and then add the garlic and the onion. Sauté for a few minutes until they soften. Add the spices and the rice and keep sautéing until the rice is glossy and it is combined with the spices.
- Step 3: Pour in the wine and wait for 1-2 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate. Then add the stock, lower the heat and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the rice is soft enough and it has absorbed most of the liquids.
- Step 4: Prepare the peppers. Grill the peppers in a preheated oven at 200C for 10-15 minutes, until their skin turns darker on all sides. Remove the peppers from the oven, place them in a bowl and cover them with cling film. Wait for 10 minutes for the liquids to evaporate, remove their skin and finely chop them.
- Step 5: Once the rice is ready, remove it from the heat and add the finely chopped peppers, the olives, spring onion, parsley, mint, the zest and the juice of 1 lemon. Mix very well and set the stuffing aside.
- Step 6: Take one vine leaf at a time and place 1 tbsp of the stuffing in the middle. Seal both sides and then wrap it like a small parcel. Arrange the stuffed vine leaves next to each other in a big, shallow ovenproof dish.
- Step 7: As soon as you finish with the wrapping, drizzle the stuffed vine leaves with the lemon juice, olive oil and with the 1 1/2 glass of warm water or stock. Cover with a dish to keep them together so that they won't shake, cook in a preheated oven at 180C for 40-45 minutes, until the leaves soften and the rice has been cooked.
- Step 8: Serve the stuffed vine leaves warm or at room temperature, accompanied by sheep's milk yoghurt.
Ingredient List
- platter
- 40 vine leaves
- 100g extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- ¼tsp hot cayenne pepper
- salt
- ½tsp whole coriander (crushed)
- ½tsp ground cinnamon
- ½tsp ground allspice
- 200g brown rice
- 250g white wine
- 500g vegetable stock
- 3 Florina peppers
- 100g sliced and pitted Kalamata olives (finely chopped)
- 2 spring onions (thinly sliced)
- 2tbsp mint
- 2tbsp parsley
- the juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 5tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- sheep's milk yoghurt