Yarpaq Dolması

Ingredients

• 60 grape leaves in brine, or fresh young leaves
• 500g minced lamb, about 20 percent fat
• 100g short-grain rice
• 2 onions, very finely chopped
• Large handful dill, chopped
• Large handful coriander, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 60g butter
• 400ml hot lamb or chicken stock
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 300g thick yogurt
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed with a pinch of salt
• Dried mint to finish

Before you cook

• Rinse the brined grape leaves thoroughly, then soak them in cold water for 20 minutes and drain.
• If the leaves are fresh, blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds and refresh in cold water.
• Rinse the rice and soak it in warm water for 20 minutes, then drain.
• Chop the onions and herbs very finely.
• Mix the lamb, drained rice, onion, dill, coriander, mint, salt, pepper and cinnamon together and knead well with your hands.
• Beat the crushed garlic into the yogurt and keep it in the fridge.

Steps

1. Line the base of a heavy pot with any torn or oversized grape leaves.
2. Lay a good leaf on the worktop, shiny side down, with the stem end towards you.
3. Snip out the tough stem with scissors.
4. Put a heaped teaspoon of filling in a short line near the stem end.
5. Fold the stem end up over the filling, fold both sides inward, and roll into a tight cigar no thicker than your finger.
6. Set the roll seam side down in the pot and continue, packing the dolma snugly together in concentric rings.
7. Build a second layer on top once the base is full.
8. Dot the butter over the dolma and pour in the hot stock and the lemon juice, which should come just level with the top layer.
9. Set a heatproof plate upside down directly on the dolma to hold them down.
10. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot and cook on the lowest heat for 50 to 60 minutes.
11. Check one dolma after 50 minutes and make sure the rice inside is completely tender.
12. Turn off the heat and let the pot stand covered for 15 minutes.
13. Lift out the plate and arrange the dolma on a warm platter with a little of the cooking liquid.
14. Serve with the cold garlic yogurt and a pinch of dried mint over the top.