Family recipes are a closely guarded secret in my family. Only marriage into the family will grudgingly bring out the recipe box, along with reminders that sharing brings the Dreaded Evil Eye upon those with loose lips.
But the fact is that my family's dolma recipe (stuffed grape leaves), handed down at least from my Great Grandmother but probably much longer than that from the hills of the Peloponnisos, is the single greatest food item in the history of the planet. When we play "desert island" and I have to choose my one food that I have to exist on for the rest of my life on the desert island, my answer is always and without hesitation Yiayia's dolmas. They are different than most dolmas I've ever had in a restaurant, because my family makes a avogolemono sauce to go with them than you don't often see. I've been told that it's the way they're made in the particular mountain range from where my family springs.
We all have family favorites. I'm going to share mine in the hopes that you'll share yours. The best recipes come from people who have been cooking them for years, and the little tips that flesh out the recipe are gems that you can't gather in cookbooks.
To all DKossers, I wish you a Happy Holiday, whatever that holiday may be.
Dolmas (Stuffed Grape Leaves):
Serves about 20
Filling:
1 lb. ground lamb (or hamburger, if you must)
1/2 lb. ground pork
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tbls olive oil
3/4 c uncooked rice
2 eggs beaten
1/2 stick butter
2 onions, chopped
5 tbls fresh parsley
3 tbls fresh mint
1 jar grape leaves (found in any Mediterranean market)
Avogolemono:
4 eggs
juice of 2 lemons
For filling, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. To prepare the grape leaves, be sure to remove tough stems before wrapping. To assemble, make a torpedo shape of the filing, about a heaping tablespoon. Starting from the bottom of the leaf, wrap the bottom upwards over the filling, then fold in sides, and roll up like a burrito. Be ready to be rolling grape leaves for a long while, it's a lengthy process, best done around a table with a group of friends or family if you enjoy their company.
Stack the stuffed grape leaves tightly in concentric circles at the bottom of a stock pot. It'll end up about 3/4 of the way full. Cover with water and something heavy enough to hold the dolmas down; they like to float. Cover the pot and simmer for 2 hours.
Once the dolmas are done, remove them carefully from the liquid. Beat the eggs and beat in the lemon juice. Remove a small amount of the broth and slowly add it to the egg/lemon mix, beating all the while. It's important to add the broth very slowly or you'll scramble the eggs. Keep adding broth slowly until you've tempered the egg mixture enough to pour slowly into the remaining broth in the stock pot.
Once completed, add sauce to whatever pretty receptacle you like and add dolmas in. Serve immediately.
The dolmas (without sauce) freeze very nicely.
Happy Holidays to us all.