WARAK ENAB
If there’s one meal I’d always choose to make with a friend, it would be stuffed grape leaves. The work is divided into two, a catch-up session is put in motion and a celebratory meal is created to enjoy afterward. Grape leaves are filled with minced meat, rice and spices, rolled up and stewed into a lemony, garlic sauce. For extra flavor, I’m adding peppered lamb cutlets to the base of the pot. To make sure your stuffed grape leaves don’t unravel while stewing, place them tightly side by side along the rim of the pot, you’ll probably end up with at least two layers. For a really big finish, the cutlets and stacks of stuffed grape leaves are quickly turned over onto a serving dish, something like an upside-down cake. You’re left with tender lemony cutlets and softly stewed stuffed grape leaves served with tangy fresh yogurt.
INGREDIENTS
450 grams grape leaves, usually 1 jar of grape leaves in brine (you can find the drained weight on the side label of the jar)
5 tablespoons canola oil
6 lamb cutlets
1 small tomato, sliced into rounds
400 grams minced beef
1 cup short-grain Egyptian white rice
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
4 teaspoons allspice
15 cracks black pepper
½ cup lemon juice
5 cloves garlic, peeled
3 cups water
METHOD:
Prepare the grape leaves: Strain the grape leaves from the brine and wash them with tap water. Cut the stems off the grape leaves and set them aside.
Sear the lamb cutlets: Season both sides of the cutlets with 1 teaspoon allspice and 1 teaspoon salt. Place a stockpot at least 20cm wide on your stovetop and add 3 tablespoons of canola oil and set the heat at medium-high (8/10). Once heated up, add the cutlets and sear each side until slightly browned, 3 minutes per side. Remove the pot from the stove and place it (safely) close to your work surface. Place the tomato slices evenly above the lamb cutlets.
Prepare the stuffing: In a medium bowl, add the minced beef, strained rice, 2 teaspoons salt, cinnamon, black pepper, 3 teaspoons allspice, 2 tablespoons of canola oil, and combine.
Start rolling: On a work surface, place one vine leaf vein side up with its base towards you. Discard any vine leaves that have holes in them or that are much bigger than the rest. Take one teaspoon of filling and place it on the bottom half of the vine leaf and shape the filling into a line. Remember the filling should only be in the center of the leaf and while the ends are free. Grab the base of the vine leaf and pull it up over the filling. Grab the right end of the leaf and fold it over the covered filling. Grab the left end of the leaf and fold it over the covered filling. Finally, roll the covered filling over itself until the end of the leaf. Once rolled, place the stuffed grape leaves side by side and seam side down along the edge of the pot and over the cutlets and tomatoes, this ensures nothing gets unraveled while cooking. Repeat until all the leaves are filled, you will end with two or three layers of stuffed grape leaves. When rice cooks, it expands, so don’t roll the grape leaves tightly, leave some room for the stuffing to expand.
Cooking: Once you’ve layered all your stuffed grape leaves in the pot, add the whole garlic cloves, evenly between the stuffed grape leaves, lemon juice, and water. Place a heat-proof glass plate face side down over the stuffed grape leaves (this makes sure everything stays in place). The water level should reach above the inverted plate, if needed add more water. Cover the pot and set the heat at medium (5/10) and simmer for 1 hour.
Serving: Remove the lid, pour out the lemon sauce, and reserve for serving. Carefully remove the heatproof plate from the pot. Place a large serving plate over the pot and with one swift move, turn the pot over onto the plate. Serve hot with the reserved lemon sauce and cool yogurt.
Recipe, Photography, Food Styling, Prop Styling by: TALA SOUBRA
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