Dolmathes : Greek Stuffed Grape Leaves
Mezethes! (meh-ZEH-thes) is a Greek term used for appetizers, small plates or snacks. The original grazing boards, Greeks serve a mid-afternoon snack of savory bites with ouzo on ice, to be sipped while snacking. Mezethes can include spinach pies (spanakopites) cheese pies (tiropites) assorted olives, feta and other cheeses, marinated vegetables, and these dolmathes, or stuffed grape leaves. Depending on the area of Greece you’re in, the filling may be filled and flavored with whatever is locally grown and available. There are probably hundreds of variations of every Greek dish because of this. Some dolmathes are filled with rice and herbs only, and some have meat and rice. I also remember eating these as an entree, served with a ladle of avgolemono sauce, the thicker cousin to the classic egg-lemon soup.
This version of course, since I am grain-free, contains cassava flour orzo instead of rice. This ingredient is becoming more readily available as people choose to minimize or eliminate gluten from their diets. You’ve seen me use this in other posts (the no-recipe orzo salad). I love having a “pasta” alternative, and it’s really so close to the real thing. One precaution, do not overcook it. I typically recommended to cut back on the cook time, because it’s easier to test and add a little time if needed. It can get very soft and starchy quickly.
Therefore, for this recipe, I’m recommending that you only cook the orzo for half of the recommended cook time. Once added to the meat mixture and rolled, it will continue to cook in the oven as the rolls bake. For this reason, you don’t want to cool the orzo. Once cooled, you’ve stopped the cooking process. And because you’re adding warm orzo to cold meat, this needs to be one continuous process from start to finish. Adding warm orzo to the meat will change the temperature of the meat, so working fast is important, to minimize any issues.
Finally, try serving these with the classic avgolemono sauce, the recipe is also below. For Whole30 omit the orzo and simply stuff with the seasoned meat. (They’re delicious cold, too!)
Dolmathes : Greek Stuffed Grape Leaves
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce jar of grape leaves in brine ( available at Greek or imported markets, or product online
- 1 8 ounce box cassava orzo pasta (omit for Whole30 compatible version, simply use meat and seasonings)
- 2 cups chicken bone broth
- 1/2 cup sweet or yellow onion
- 1 pound ground beef, preferably grass fed
- 2 Tablespoons Paleo Powder Seasoning or your favorite Greek/Mediterranean blend (dried oregano, parsley and dill)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lemon
Method
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Heat the chicken bone broth to boiling in a small sauce pan. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions, but for only half of the time. (Approximately 4 minutes). It will still be hard but beginning to plump. Remove from the heat and set aside. It will absorb more of the liquid as it rests. (The orzo will complete cooking when baked. If overcooked the texture will be too soft and starchy).
- While the orzo is cooking, dice the onion very small, almost mince.
- Open the jar of leaves, remove and unroll. Spread them open and choose the smaller, more tender leaves for the dolmathes. The larger leaves will be used for lining the casserole dish. Remove any of the tougher stems from the base of the leaves.
- Place the beef into a mixing bowl large enough to accommodate the remaining ingredients. Add all ingredients and mix to combine. Mix in the orzo last, draining off any excess liquid. The orzo will still be warm, and will cause the other ingredients to become warm, so from this point you must continue the process. Otherwise the mixture may not be safe to consume.
- Prepare the casserole dish: Use a bakeproof dish, preferably with a lid, approximately 9" X 13" for one layer of dolmathes, or approximately 6" X 8" for 2 layers. Coat the dish with olive oil or olive oil spray. Line the entire bottom and sides of the pan with the reserved larger leaves. Save 2 or 3 for the top. (If you don't have a bakeproof dish with a lid, you can cover with foil).
- To make the rolls: Spread out a few leaves at a time on your work surface. Using a one ounce portion scoop or large spoon, place the meat mixture at the base of the leaf, where the veins come together, then roll up "burrito" style. Folding in the sides, then beginning to roll, continuing to fold in the sides until the meat is completely encased. Place in the prepared casserole dish with the opening at the bottom, in a concentric circle. Continue until the casserole is filled. If you're using a casserole with higher sides, you may add a second layer if needed.
- Once the casserole is filled and all of the meat has been used, squeeze the lemon over the top of all of the rolls. If you happen to have leftover meat, simply make into meatballs and tuck them in between the rolls. Top the rolls with the reserved leaves to completely cover.
- Add the lid, or cover tightly with foil, and bake for 40 minutes. Check for doneness by piercing one roll with a fork, the leaf should break with little resistance, and the meat is no longer pink.
- Serve right away with avgolemono sauce. Or chill and reheat before serving.
