Yiaprakia (Stuffed Grape Leaves/Dolmades)

“And we’re rolling!” Just a couple of hours after a promised “this will be quick” beginning to end, fresh-from-the-vine, stuffed grape leaves session, Mom and I set out on rolling the first of about a hundred individual grape leaves for our large batch of the day. Mom has been on a yiaprakia roll this summer, burning through the leaves she froze last summer and using up the fresh (and frozen) leaves from this year’s harvest.  

We’ve been collecting leaves from my parents’ grape vine since late spring. The vine starts at the front edge of my father’s large garden, trails the garden fence along most of its length, and ultimately winds around the trellis Dad built over the picnic table in the backyard. There has been a vine in the backyard for as long as I can remember, and stuffed grape leaves made from their vine for just as long.

While stuffed grape leaves are most commonly referred to as dolmades, our family has always called them yiaprakia. I thought this might be due to some small regional distinction, maybe even specific to their village of Melanios. But it turns out that yiaprakia is a Turkish term for stuffed grape leaves. Areas of Greece more heavily influenced by the Turks during the Ottoman Empire, like my family’s native island of Chios—at its closest point, a mere four miles from Turkey—go by yiaprakia rather than dolmades.   

Chios’ proximity and its wealth—from a prominent shipping industry and exports of a mastic resin found only on the island—made it a valuable asset to the Ottoman Empire. The island was granted a relative amount of autonomy not offered to other occupied areas. Persuaded by Greek fighters from a neighboring island, Chios joined the war for Greek independence nearly a year after it started. Chiotes suffered terribly for their “betrayal” as the Turks nearly devastated the island during the Massacre of Chios—setting fire to villages and killing, raping and enslaving many islanders. A small monument to the victims was built near a large crag in my family’s village of Melanios—who some say was named for the inky color of the blood-stained Aegean Sea during the massacre. Chios only joined an independent Greece in the early 1900s, nearly one hundred years after most of Greece gained its independence.     

Even though a portion of the grape vine has succumbed to the insane heat of this summer, there were still plenty of tender leaves to pick at the end of July. It’s easy to feel the difference between the velvety-soft tender leaves, and the smooth, but thick leaves—which are better left on the vine. I used to think leaf size was also a key indication of tenderness, and that large equals tough. But I’ve come to realize that there is a diaphanous quality to the leaves that are prime for stuffing. You can almost see the sun shining through them, and they are not always the smallest leaves on the vine.  

There are many stuffing variations around, ours is vegan/vegetarian friendly—lemon and dill infused rice with a lot of onion and a hint of mint. Some recipes include ground meat, either beef or lamb, pine nuts, currants, etc., so there is plenty of room to switch up the ingredients and experiment. As with many of Mom’s recipes, original measurements were made in standard kitchen gear designed for other purposes.

Some ingredients, like the olive oil she pours straight from the bottle with carefree abandon, are approximations. Because even after I measure, she judges by eye and adjusts without advance warning.

FRESH LEAVES:

• Collect leaves that are relatively young and tender. They will feel soft and almost velvety.
• Remove the stem and lightly clean the leaves with running tap water to remove any debris before blanching or freezing.
• Fresh (unblanched) leaves can be frozen for future use, just make sure leaves are not wet when placed in freezer bag, or other storage container.  

GENERAL NOTES

The recipe is simple, but it takes a little time and patience to roll the leaves. We find it easy to gobble down a half dozen or so with little thought, so a large batch doesn’t really stick around too long. The recipe can be divided if a smaller batch is preferred.

Jarred grape leaves can easily be used in place of fresh leaves. Jarred leaves can be found in Greek or Middle-Eastern specialty stores, and in larger supermarkets with well-stocked international sections. The leaves should be rinsed to remove the brine before they are blanched. Jarred leaves may be less tender than fresh leaves and require more blanching time.  

There is some variation in the size of individual leaves and how much stuffing they will accommodate, so there may be extra leaves or stuffing. Extra stuffing can be cooked on its own for a flavorful pilaf, or refrigerated for about a week, as can blanched leaves. Uncooked stuffed grape leaves may be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, if smaller batches of freshly cooked dolmades are preferred throughout the week.

Cooked grape leaves are best hot, or at room temp. Grape leaves can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator and eaten cold straight from the refrigerator, or warmed slightly in the microwave.

YIAPRAKIA

Equipment: Large pot (~4.5 quart) with lid, oven safe plate (slightly smaller than pot) and bowl  

Yield: About 90-100 yiaprakia, depending on the size of the leaves and how much stuffing they hold 

• ~100 grape leaves, (stems removed, cleaned and rinsed to remove debris (fresh), or brine (jarred)
• 4 medium Vidalia onions, grated
• 2 3/4 cups uncooked basmati rice, rinsed 2-3 times and drained
• 1 cup chopped dill
• 1 cup sliced scallion
• ~1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 2/3 cups, plus 1/8 cup lemon juice (~2-3 lemons) – adjust according to taste (we like our yiaprakia tart)
• 1 -2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1-2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Start to prepare stuffing: In a large sauté pan, heat about ¼ cup olive until it shimmers. Add onions and scallions to pan and mix to coat in oil. Add dill, mint and salt and mix well. Sauté mixture until onions and scallions are reduced and translucent, about 15-20 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool.   
2. Blanch grape leaves: Bring a large pot of water to boil, then drop in a few leaves at a time (about 5-10 depending on size of pot). Flip leaves over after about 20 seconds and boil for another 20-30 seconds. If leaves are on the tougher side, or using jarred, blanch a little longer. Leaves will soften up and turn an olive green when ready. Remove leaves from pot, drain, and spread on a dish and allow to cool off to the side.  
3.  Finish preparing stuffing: Add rinsed rice to cooled onion and herb mixture. Add approximately ¼ cup olive oil and 2/3 cup lemon juice and stir well to combine. Taste (spitting out raw rice), and adjust salt and lemon if necessary. There should be some small pools of liquid (oil and lemon) throughout, and the mixture should glisten from the oil.
4. Stuff leaves: Place leaves on a flat surface, smooth surface down and vein side up. Place about a teaspoon of stuffing near the top of the leaf where the stem was (stuffing amount may need to be adjusted depending on size of individual leaves). Fold top corners of the leaf down and over stuffing. Fold left and right sides of grape leaf over stuffing. Then roll leaf down tightly, to form a taught package.
5. Arrange stuffed grape leaves: Tightly arrange stuffed grape leaves in a concentric circle in the pot. For the bottom and any middle layers, start from outer edge of pot. For the top layer, start arranging from the center of the pot.  
6. Cook stuffed grape leaves: Place an inverted dish over the top layer of grape leaves to keep them in place during cooking. Place a small bowl (right-side up) on top of the plate. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, pinch salt, 1/8 cup lemon juice to pot. Add 3 cups of hot water to the pot, and approximately 1 more cup of water in the bowl for weight. Cover pot with the lid, bring water to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 45-50 minutes.
7. Turn off heat and remove lid. Carefully remove bowl and plate. Allow grape leaves to cool for a few minutes before digging in.