Stuffed Vine Leaves: The French Alternative

Stuffed vine leaves (grape vine) are a delicious snack or entree dish. Used fresh from your own grapevine, the leaves can be a little difficult to manage. On 'Burke's Backyard' Jackie French demonstrated how to make stuffed grapevine leaves from your own vine and keep them under control.

Her trick is to put the fresh green leaves into boiling water for around 30 seconds. This softens the leaves to make them more pliable so that they can be easily folded around a delicious stuffing.

Vine leaves are also available prepackaged at speciality food shops. A 200g pack costs around $2.00.

Ingredients:

• 12 grapevine leaves
• 1 cup basmati rice (other rices may require different amounts of water, see packet for details)
• 2 dessertspoons olive oil
• 2 strands of saffron or 1 teaspoon tumeric
• small packet pine nuts (100g)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped)
• 1/2 cup currants
• 4 cups water (vegetable or chicken stock can be used for a richer mix) plus enough water or stock to cover stuffed grape leaves in the baking dish juice of one lemon

Method:

1. Stuffing Add rice and oil to a saucepan and place over low heat until all the oil has absorbed into the rice. Stir in saffron or tumeric then add chopped onion and garlic. Stir for two minutes. Stir through currants and pine nuts. Add four cups of water (or stock) and simmer until moisture has evaporated.
Note: Keep heat low to prevent rice from burning. If rice is still nutty, add a little more liquid.
Note: Do not stir again or rice will become mushy.

2. Wrapping Dip grape leaves in boiling water for about 30 seconds or until the leaves are limp and manageable. Lay out each leaf, place about a teaspoon of stuffing in the middle and wrap, folding the ends over neatly. Place them closely together in a dish and cover with chicken stock or water. Add lemon juice. Place a saucer on top to hold the stuffed grape leaves in place and bake for 20 minutes in a moderate oven (350deg.C).

Serve hot or cold. Serves four.

Further information

For more of Jackie French's hints, old-fashioned ideas, recipes, remedies or suggestions consult her books including: Plants that never say die (Lothian Australian Garden Series, 1995) Household Self-Sufficiency (Aird Books) Backyard Self-Sufficiency (Aird Books)

Copyright CTC Productions 1997