Ingredients
Scale
- Generous ½ to 1 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
- 1 or 2 large green cabbages
- 2 cups ground pork (or beef ( I use lean organic beef))
- 1 large sweet onion grated or small chop
- 1 egg (lightly beaten)
- 2 tablespoons FRESH flat leaf or Italian parsley
- 4 tablespoons FRESH dill (or same dried)
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (preferably Greek)
- 2–3 tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 eggs
- Juice of 1 ½ lemons (fresh)
- 2 Tablespoons “Better Than Bouillon” Roasted Beef Base-organic reduced sodium
- Ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak rice in cold water for 10 minutes drain, rinse, drain again. Put in a large bowl.
- Prepare the cabbage:
- Boil a large pot filled with water halfway up.
- Rinse cabbage and run your knife around the core from the bottom cutting deeply in a square around the core but leave whole.
- Remove the 3 outer leaves and set aside to line the pot later.
- Keep peeling leaves off carefully one by one and setting aside.
- When you get to the small inner leaves carefully remove these too and set aside.
- Finally when you get nearest the core take these small hearts and set aside in a different bowl.
- Rinse the larger cabbage leaves and drain.
- One at a time pop them into the boiling water to blanch 1 minute is best. Fish out gently with a slotted spoon and drain in colander, and set aside on towel.
- When you get to the cabbage heart leaves do these all at once keeping the leaves together as best you can.
- Filling:
- Mix the ground meat, onion, rice one beaten egg, herbs, 3 tablespoons of the oil, one tablespoon of the Beef Base, and a few grinds of pepper together in a bowl with your hands.
- Prep the pot:
- Empty the hot blanching water out of the large pot and line bottom with the 3 large outer leaves.
- Making the rolls:
- Starting with the largest blanched leaves, lay one out and cut the large hard vein out of the bottom 1/3.
- Take a tablespoon of filling and squish gently with your fingers to hold together and place it an inch from the cut end of your leaf.
- Roll the cut end over the meat, roll sides in and finish rolling to make a tight roll.
- Sometimes you will have to patch using the smaller leaves.
- Place this roll with the smooth side up directly on the cabbage lining the pot. Pack more rolls in tightly making a second row if need be.
- When you run out of large leaves use the cabbage heart “cups”- several leaves together and place your filling directly in the middle of the cup squeezing all together and tucking these filling side up into your pot between the rolls.
- When you have completed the Dolmades top the entire top layer with pats of the butter and the rest of the olive oil.
- Top this with enough water mixed with the remaining tablespoon of Beef Base; enough to just touching the bottoms of top layer of rolls.
- Cover the rolls with a heat-proof plate or I use the top of my glass casserole dish to weigh these down.
- Then place the pot cover on tightly.
- Cook:
- Cook on “2” or reduce to lo on your heating element. Check at 30 minutes.
- Sauce:
- When your rolls are done take them off the burner immediately and cool a little.
- I remove them immediately to a glass casserole dish to prevent them turning to mush.
- Save the cooking broth and cool a bit.
- Using a whisk in a large saucepan, mix the cornstarch with a little water to make a paste.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl and add the lemon juice, and eggs to the cornstarch.
- Pour the broth (about 2 ½ cups) into the cornstarch mixture whisking continuously over low/medium heat-get it frothy and thick.
- Serve the Dolmades on a plate with the lemon sauce poured over.
- You can garnish with a lemon wedge for color and more lemon flavor.
- I even serve the tiny bits of cabbage that I couldn’t roll or cook; with the hot sauce.
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: Greek, Macedonian