Dolmades
My husband is half-Greek on his mom’s side, so I feel very fortunate that we get to celebrate both Catholic Easter and Orthodox Easter every year! They are usually a few weeks apart because Orthodox Easter is based on the Julian calendar, designed by Julius Caesar in 45 BC. Orthodox Easter is usually always later and falls 1-4 weeks after western Easter. It’s one more reason to get together as a family, celebrate family traditions on both sides and enjoy two occasions with fantastic food! Greek food is one of my absolute favorite cuisines and Dolmades (Dolmathes) are one of my favorite Greek appetizers. They take a little bit of time to roll out, but they are well worth the work! If you happen to have extras leftover, they are great warmed up a few days later, or will even hold in the freezer until you’re ready for them again!
There are so many variations of Dolmades recipes, even down to the spelling. The ingredients and spelling vary slightly, depending upon where each recipe originates from. They are cabbage or grape leaves stuffed with rice and herbs, boiled until cooked through and can either be made vegetarian or with meat like beef or lamb. I like making them with a combo of ground beef and lamb as it’s a great balance of flavors. This recipe for Dolmades is based off of how my mother-in-law taught me to make them, but of course I had to add a few of my own touches. So, while this recipe for Dolmades may include a few extra ingredients from the traditional Greek method, to me they are a delicious addition to one of my favorite Greek dishes.
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
45 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Course
Appetizer
Cuisine
Greek
Servings
10-12 servings
Ingredients
1 jar grape leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. 80/20 ground beef
1 lb. ground lamb
1 egg, beaten
Kosher Salt & Pepper
½ Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
½ Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
½ Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 cup converted rice (like Uncle Ben’s)
1 lemon, zested & juiced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. Allspice
3-4 cups chicken stock
½ cup plain Greek yogurt, for dipping
Instructions
1. Remove grape leaves from jar and brine, rinse and strain in a colander (trim stems if needed).
2. In a skillet over medium heat, add 2-3 Tbsp. of EVOO and diced onion. Sauté over medium low heat until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add minced garlic, cook one additional minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. While that’s cooking, combine the meat mixture in a large bowl: ground beef, ground lamb, egg, salt and pepper, fresh herbs, converted rice, lemon zest, tomato paste and allspice. Mix together until combined. Once onion and garlic mixture has cooled, add it to the meat mixture and stir to combine.
4. Begin rolling the dolmades by laying the grape leaves flat, vein side up and using about a Tbsp. of the meat mixture in the middle. Roll the bottom up, sides in and continue to the upper edge. Place the rolled dolmades, seam side down in a large, deep sided pot. Place them snug next to each other, without space in between. Continue rolling them until you have rolled all of the meat mixture into each grape leaf.
5. Squeeze one lemon over the top and add enough chicken stock to cover them. Place an inverted, similar sized plate over the top of the dolmades, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 35-45 mins. until cooked through.
6. Serve with plain Greek yogurt for dipping.