Stuffed Grape Leaves - Appetizer style (dolmadákia)

Stuffed Grape Leaves - Appetizer Style

 (Dolmadákia)

Cook time: 1 hour Prep: 1 hour Makes: 75- 85 pieces   Dolmathákia with the “akia” on the end of the word means “small one”. These stuffed grape leaves are made on the smaller side to be served as an appetizer hot or cold with a squeeze of lemon juice. Instead of using dried onion soup, you may use chopped onions, bunches of fresh mint and dill in the meat mixture. Check out the URL for a video and pictures of grape leave rolling techniques. The rice will not explode when cooked this way as long as you roll your grape leaves tightly around the meat mixture.     3 pounds 73% lean ground beef* Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup long grain white rice Water, about 1/4-1/2 cup 2 packages dried onion soup mix 1 16-ounce jar grape leaves 2 tablespoons dried mint 1 lemon, juiced     Thoroughly mix ground beef, rice, onion soup mix, mint, salt, pepper and water. Cut stems off grape leaves. Place glossy side down with vein side showing. Place about one teaspoonful of meat mixture on the wide end of leaf and roll it up like a cigar, folding outer edges in as you roll. Layer the stuffed grape leaves in an 8-quart pot (may add leaves to bottom of pan to prevent burning) and enough water to almost cover them. With lid on, bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Drain the liquid. Place cooked stuffed grape leaves on a serving platter and drizzle with lemon juice to taste. May be eaten hot or cold.   *Depending on the size of the leaves and how large you make them, the amount of meat needed may vary. Take a look at the URL code below to learn what to do with left-over meat.

 https://longbeachcookbook.blogspot.com/2025/11/meatball-soup-yiouvarlakia-avgolemono.html

This past weekend I made the stuffed grape leaves recipe which I know by heart because it was my Mom's recipe.  This appetizer was always my contribution for family dinners.

The grape leaves are preserved in brine water which some people will wash off before using to remove the saltiness. I don't wash them because we like the salty taste of the leaves.

One time when I made stuffed grape leaves, the leaves were very tough. Hours of boiling them did not make a  difference. So, I decided to take them to work the next day thinking someone might like them. It turns out one of my colleagues just loved them and in my astonishment, I asked how can that be? He heated them in the microwave for a few minutes which probably tenderized the leaves - learned something new.

Sous chefs William and Freya taste-testing 

Lia Kakaris came over and we finished rolling the grape leaves.  It takes about an hour for one person to finish rolling the entire jar of leaves.  This time, we had leaves left over and usually we have meat left over. 

Hint: if you should want to use fresh grape leaves, blanche them first in boiling water.  Many years ago, we wanted to plant fresh grape leaves and on the excellent recommendation of Mrs. Cleo Andrews, we planted green grapes. The fresh grape leaves made the best stuffed grapes leaves that I have every tasted.

6/7/22 Update

I tried making stuffed grape leaves with fig leaves.  They tasted ok, but I prefer the grape leaves.  The leaves were a bit tough and they have a distinct taste, almost like a burnt taste.  I made a big mistake and cooked them with the stuffed grape leaves which took on the flavor of the the more dominant fig leaves.

Cutting stem off

Rolling leaves

Tips:

1.  I use the Orlando leaves from Fresno, CA because they are nice and soft. Other brands are o.k., too.
2. Can easily pull leaves apart by holding them by their stem to easily pull apart. 
3. Don't forget to cut stems off grape leaves and to place glossy side down with vein side showing before rolling leaf with meat.
4. May line the bottom of an 8-quart pot with grape leaves to prevent the stuffed grape leaves
5. from burning on the bottom of the pan. Placing a plate or a lid on top prevents separation with the rice popping out. I don't typically do either. 
6. If grape leaves tough, place once cooked place in microwave for about a minute or so to soften. Once I had very tough leaves and I continue to boil them which didn't help. Only by accident did I learn the microwave tip.
7. The higher fat content meat makes for a tastier stuffed grape leaves. I figure that o.k. since this is not something I eat on a regular basis.
8. May wash brine off of the grape leaf before using (I don't).
9. If you have leaves left over, you may freeze them to use later.
10.  If you have meat left over you may make them into meatball/lemon soup (youvarlakia avgolemóno) or freeze the meet to make soup or stuff more leaves. 
11. I joke that my mom used a 1950's secret ingredient, dried onion soup mix. You can use fresh dill , mint, maybe some chopped onions in place of the soup mix, but I find the mix handy with added flavor.  Dried herbs can be very flavorful.

8. I use Ben's rice original long grain rice which use to be marketed as Uncle Ben's. I have used other brands of rice, but find Ben's to be the best. It is already parboiled and holds its texture without becoming mushy.

9. Drizzling lemon juice on the stuffed grape leaves is very good, but you may, also, make an avgolemeno sauce to drizzle on top which is often done when making larger, stuffed stuffed grape-leaves for dinner.

10. 

Instead of lemon juice may top with an egg-lemon sauce (avgolemeno sauce)

Avgolemono Sauce (Egg-lemon Sauce)

 

Total Time:

Prep: 10 min

Makes: 1 cup

 

1 cup hot stock*	2 eggs, room temperature
Medium lemon, juiced plus 2 tablespoons

 

Heat up 1 cup of stock with lemon juice. You may use liquid left-over from grape leaves jar or vegetable stock. Add juice of 1 medium lemon to stock and heat until hot. Separately, whisk eggs with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Slowly add the heated stock to the whisked eggs and continue to whisk until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Drizzle on top of the stuffed grape leaves.

* May brine water from the grape leaf jar for stock or vegetable stock.