1955. Appetizer Olive Oil Vineleaves

If I am not careful, I'll be having as many vineleaf varieties in the MCW archives as I have kubbas. Honestly, that might now be a bad thing, just look at how different they all are: breakfast lebne stuffed vineleaves, spring roll vineleaves, airfryer vineleaves, slow cooker vineleaves, and cold vineleaves with sultanas and walnut, prune vineleaves, and that's not to mention other innovative use of vineleaf in vineleaf feta parcels, vineleaf haloomi and preserved lemon parcels, vineleaf meat kofta, and vineleaf saffron rice tart. Ironically, this eleventh vineleaf recipe on MCW might be the simplest: the filling is basically tabboula and rice.

Ingredients:

1.5 kg brined vineleaves

2 cups rice, rinsed, soaked, and strained

1 bouquet parsley, fine chop

1 bouquet mint, fine chop

4 tomatoes, fine chop

1 onion, fine chop

2 green onions, fine chop

1 tsp 7-spice blend

1 tsp black pepper

Salt

½ cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup pomegranate molasses

For the cooking liquid:

Reserved liquid from the filling

½ cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup olive oil

Salt to taste

Water, as needed

To line the pot:

3 potatoes, thickly sliced

3 tomatoes, thickly sliced

Method:

Combine the rinsed, soaked, and strained rice with the finely chopped parsley, mint, tomato, onion, green onion, spices, seasoning, lemon juice, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses. Set aside to allow the flavors to mingle.

Drain the vineleaves and wash then soak in fresh water for at least an hour. Drain from the water and begin to roll.

To roll, place each leaf shiny-side down. Pour the filling into a colander set over a bowl to catch all the juices. Put a teaspoon of filling in the center, fold over the sides, then begin rolling from down to up.

Before you tidy in the pot, drizzle some olive oil on the bottom of the pot and put the thickly slices potato and tomato. If the dish will scorch at the bottom, this will save your vineleaves. Arrange the rolled vineleaves over the potato and tomato.

Pour the reserved filling juices over the rolled vineleaves and the extra lemon juice, olive oil, and water to cover the lot by two fingers. Put an inverted plate over to top so the vineleaves will not unravel as they boil. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes then cover and reduce to minimum hat and cook for 4 hours.

Serve warm or cold.

صحة و عافية