Meze Atlas, Cooked in olive oil

Zeytinyağlı Yaprak Sarma

/zay·teen·yah·LUH yap·RAK sar·MA/

Vine leaves rolled around spiced rice with pine nuts and currants, cooked in olive oil

Our chef's recipe, coming soon. This is the classic version, as it is made on most meyhane tables.

Ingredients

• 250 gbrined vine leaves (about 60 leaves)
• 250 gbaldo or other short-grain rice
• 3onions (about 450 g), finely chopped
• 150 mlolive oil
• 2 tbsppine nuts
• 2 tbspcurrants, soaked for 15 minutes
• 1 tspground allspice
• ½ tspground cinnamon
• ½ tspblack pepper
• 1 tspdried mint
• 1 tspsugar
• 1 tspsalt
• ½ bunch eachdill and parsley, finely chopped
• 1lemon

Method

1. Rinse the vine leaves, blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes and drain. Snip off the stems. Soak the rice in warm water for 20 minutes and drain.
2. Cook the onions in 100 ml of the oil over low heat for 10 minutes until soft. Add the pine nuts and cook 3 minutes, then the rice, spices, sugar and salt, and stir for 2 minutes.
3. Add 200 ml hot water and the drained currants, cover and simmer for 5 minutes until the water is absorbed. Cool, then stir in the herbs.
4. Lay a leaf shiny side down, put a teaspoon of filling near the stem end, fold in the sides and roll tightly into a finger-thick cigar.
5. Line a wide pan with torn leaves and pack the rolls in tight layers. Add the lemon in slices, the remaining oil and enough hot water to just cover.
6. Weigh down with a heatproof plate, cover and cook on low heat for 45 minutes until the leaves are tender and the water is absorbed.
7. Cool completely in the pan before serving with lemon wedges.