Recipe: Stuffed Grape Leaves

Stuffed grape leaves are a great party food. They can be prepared a day in advance and kept chilled until show time and they are super easy to make, once you get a hang of the rolling. My mom always made these for parties and her perfectly rolled cigar shaped grape leaves were always a hit.

Makes 12 servings

• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped scallions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound lean ground lamb
• 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
• 1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup Basmati rice, uncooked
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 50 preserved grape leaves, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup lemon juice

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and lamb, and cook until the lamb is browned, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain off any fat. Stir the pomegranate molasses, crushed tomatoes, rice (uncooked), mint, and the remaining olive oil into the lamb mixture until combined.

2. To fill, lay a grape leaf, vein side up, on the work surface. Place about a tablespoon of the rice filling in the middle of the leaf and roll up, folding in the sides of the leaf, like a tiny burrito. Place the stuffed grape leaf, seam side down, in a medium sized pot. Repeat with the remaining filling and leaves, packing each one tightly in the pot. If the bottom of your pot is filled, you can begin a second layer.

3. Add the lemon juice to the pot and cover the grape leaves with water, weighing them down with a plate. Bring the pot to a gentle boil, cover, and simmer until the rice is cooked, about 1 hour.

4. Allow the grape leaves to cool slightly in the pot. Once they are cool enough to handle, serve immediately, or chill and serve cold.