Herbed Lemon-Marcona Dolmas
Fresh herbs—parsley, dill, and mint—are the star of the these stuffed grape leaves, so make sure you have plenty. If you're not plucking them straight from your garden, we recommend purchasing 1 bunch each dill and parsley, and a 1 package fresh mint.
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ¾ cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained well
- 1 tsp. cumin
- ¼ tsp. ground allspice
- ¾ water
- ¼ cup chopped roasted and salted Marcona almonds
- 2 Tbsp. raisins, chopped
- 2 cups packed mixed fresh parsley, dill, and mint leaves, chopped
- 1 lemon
- 36 brined grape leaves, rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Heat ¼ of the olive oil in a medium heavy saucepan. Add onion and salt. Cook over medium heat until onions are very soft and lightly browned. Add rice, cumin, and allspice. Cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until most of the rice is opaque. Add the ¾ cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir in almonds and raisins. Cover and let cool until room temperature.
- Remove zest from lemon (you should have about 1 tsp). Add the herbs and lemon zest to rice mixture. Fluff with a fork to combine.
- Drizzle a large heavy skillet or braising pan with olive oil. Arrange 4 of the grape leaves over bottom of pan. To stuff leaves, place a leaf, rough-side-up, on a work surface. Place a heaping tablespoon rice mixture in center of leaf. Fold up the sides, then roll the leaf up starting with the stem end. Arrange in a single layer over grape leaves in pan.
- Squeeze lemon over stuffed grape leaves and drizzle with remaining ¼ cup olive oil. Carefully pour enough boiling water, about ¾ cup, over stuffed leaves to cover. Cover tightly and bake until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.