Greek Recipes: Meat and Rice Dolmades

The original Greek recipe for Dolmades, the delicious meat and rice rolls wrapped in vine leaves.

200 g of AIA Ground Beef

One Large Fresh Egg Gold Nature AIA

25 pickled vine leaves

100 g of carnaroli rice

Half an onion

2 tablespoons of aged sheep cheese

A lemon

White wine as needed

Extra virgin olive oil as needed

Mint leaves as needed

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper

Description

Looking for a new recipe, fresh and original, to try in summer? You've found it: it's one of the most appreciated Greek recipes, the Meat and Rice Dolmades!

The recipes of Greek cuisine are really inviting, just think of the classic Moussaka, the Souvlaki (the meat skewers), the famous Pita Gyros and the traditional marinated chicken. The Dolmades are another Greek dish, typical of the Mediterranean cuisine, that you can try in the summer season: fresh and tasty, the Meat and Rice Dolmades require little skill at the stove but will repay you for the minutes spent for their creation in flavor and taste.

The history of the birth of the Dolmades is really ancient and seems to date back to the times of Alexander the Great (335 BC). During the battle of Thebes, the people were so hungry - and the food available so scarce - that they had started to ration it and preserve it in small pieces wrapped in vine leaves. This not only allowed to preserve the food longer, but also to make it seem more abundant at the time of consumption. Not only that: the vine leaves are rich in flavonoids and vitamins, a feature that gave them more nutrients and a greater sense of satiety.

But let's go back to the present day and the original recipe to discover: the secret to getting perfect Dolmades is to use fresh and quality ingredients, just like the AIA Ground Beef, with its unmistakable taste. You can savor these excellent rolls for a quick office lunch - preparing them the night before -, for a tasty break on the beach or, why not, also to enrich a aperitif buffet or thought for a different dinner than usual.

In short, there are many opportunities to seize to taste these excellent meat rolls and rice wrapped in vine leaves: take advantage of your imagination in the kitchen, follow AIA's advice and try to make this Greek dish among the oldest!

Ground Beef

Procedure

Separate the vine leaves and quickly rinse them under hot water one at a time, then set them aside on a plate and pat them with a sheet of kitchen paper.

In the meantime, slice the onion very finely together with a few mint leaves, sauté the freshly made mince in a large pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and add the AIA Ground Beef; then let it brown for a few minutes, until it turns pink, then deglaze it with a little white wine, adjust with salt and pepper and continue cooking until the meat is dry.

Put the rice in a bowl with the egg and the grated sheep cheese (the pecorino will be fine); also add the meat and work everything with your hands or with a wooden spoon, until you get a well amalgamated mixture.

Now you can form your Dolmades: place a spoonful of rice and meat on each leaf, then close the two outer sides inward and then roll the whole leaf on itself. Repeat the operation with the rest, but keep 5 vine leaves aside that you will need for cooking.

Take a pot, line it with the vine leaves set aside and with the lemon cut into slices. Also add the bay leaves, then position all the Dolmades in a circle: season them with plenty of extra virgin olive oil and cover with water, but do not exceed the surface of the rolls.

Put a plate over the rolls to prevent them from floating and opening during cooking, then place the pot on medium-low heat and count 45 minutes. Always check the water level while the rolls are cooking: if necessary, pour more to keep them well moist.

Once the necessary time has passed, drain the Meat and Rice Dolmades with the help of a skimmer or a spatula and serve them on a nice serving dish.

Product information may undergo changes, temporarily causing variations between the information on this page and that on the product label. We therefore invite you to always verify and consider the information on the product label before using and consuming it.

Suggestions

You can serve the Dolmades either hot or cold, accompanied by the famous Greek sauce based on yogurt and cucumbers, the Tzatziki: here you find the recipe.

The Dolmades can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days, or they can be frozen: oil them well and place them in a suitable bag, then put them in the freezer. You can enjoy them whenever you want within 6 months.

For an even more spicy flavor, when you cook the AIA Ground Beef also add a teaspoon of cinnamon powder, parsley fresh to taste and a couple of cloves.