Guardian Saturday - Vine Leaf Recipe

We do a similar thing with Savoy leaves instead of vine leaves.

Hi Rhona - this sounds superb.

Please could you post the recipe for us all to enjoy?

Many thanks - Johnny

Here it is! Quite an unusual cooking process - raw potatoes (which add lovely flavour); raw lamb, etc. It does seem like the juice is never going to disappear but suddenly, it is mostly gone. We did as suggested and had it with buttery pine nut basmati - the whole thing was best thing I've cooked in ages. The tip to line pan with vine leaves is a good one - I left out the fennel as DH doesn't like it.


Lamb, tomato and sweet spices

Basmati rice with butter and pine nuts is an ideal accompaniment. Couscous is great, too. Serves four.

2 tbsp olive oil
4cm piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
800g tomatoes, peeled and chopped (fresh or tinned)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp caster sugar
40-50 vine leaves, plus extra with which to line the pan
1 large fennel bulb
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the filling:
400g lamb mince
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small potato (around 150g), peeled and coarsely grated
2 tbsp basmati rice
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped coriander, plus extra for garnish
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp ground clove
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 medium tomatoes

First make the filling. Put all the ingredients, apart from the tomatoes, in a bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half, coarsely grate into the bowl and discard the skins. Add half a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper, and stir. Leave on the side, or in the fridge, for up to a day. Before using, gently squeeze with your hands and drain away any juices that come out.

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a medium pan. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for a minute or two, taking care not to burn them, then add the tomato, lemon juice and sugar. Season, and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the sauce is bubbling away, prepare the vine leaves. Use any torn or broken leaves to line the base of a wide, heavy saucepan. Trim any leaves from the fennel, cut it vertically into 0.5cm-thick slices and spread over the base of the pan to cover completely.

Lay a prepared vine leaf (see intro) on a work surface, veiny side up. Put two teaspoons of filling at the base of the leaf in a 2cm-long by 1cm-wide strip. Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling, then roll it tightly from bottom to top, in a cigar shape. Place in the pan, seam down, and repeat with the remaining leaves, placing them tightly next to each other in lines or circles (in two layers if necessary).

Pour the sauce over the leaves (and, if needed, add water just to cover). Place a plate on top, to weigh the leaves down, then cover with a lid. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook on a bare simmer for 70 minutes. Most of the liquid should evaporate. Remove from the heat, and leave to cool a little - they are best served warm. When serving, bring to the table in the pan - it looks great. Serve a few vine leaves and fennel slices with warm rice. Spoon the braising juices on top and garnish with coriander.

Hi Rhona - that's really kind. Thank you so much.

I will surprise my wife with this recipe tomorrow night - she has just finished a major project at work and we had planned to have something special - your dish will be it.

She has been a mouse-wife (glued to her computer) for the last 3 months so the whole household will be pleased when we get her back full time.

Rhona - you are a star. Many thanks - Johnny

If you want a recipe for Turducken (turkey stuffed with a duck and chicken) or Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic (the cloves are roasted and sweet not pungent) - please just ask

I'm cooking that for Xmas dinner this year (not for me, I'll have a Linda Pie as usual)

Turducken is a great favourite in our household. Our local family butcher now offers to do most of it for you - so you just end up cooking it with all the preparation (and there is a lot of it) done. Much easier on the stressful run up to Xmas.

Wow! That sounds pretty good. Impressive to serve at Christmas too. I fancy trying the 40 garlic chicken too.

Ooohhh... really hope you both like the vine leaves - 'specially for a special dinner. Forgot one important thing - blanch the leaves first for one minute then refresh before using. Also, don't add any water until you've set your plate up and it's simmering, as the liquid seems to increase.

Good luck and report back!

Back to the vine leave recipe, can you use any type of vine leaves or do they have to be from particular types of grapes?

It didn't say, and I don't actually know what type ours is, but it tasted lovely and we're still standing!

I'm sure that will (not) help enormously...

May well try with a few of the younger leaves at the weekend as it does sound lovely. Thanks for posting.

Here are 2 versions Rhona - happy cooking

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic – 2 recipes

Recipe 1 – Slow Cooker Method

When cooked in this way, the garlic becomes almost sweet and loses it pungency.

• 50g unsalted butter
• 1.5 kg oven ready chicken
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 40 plump whole, unpeeled fresh garlic cloves
• Fresh herbs to garnish
• Spicy rice of choice
• Ratatouille as required

1. Preheat the slow cooker and wipe inside with a little butter.
2. Rinse and pat dry the chicken, then season and stuff the cavity with half the garlic cloves
3. Melt half the butter and brown the chicken all over
4. Place in the slow cooker and scatter over the remaining unpeeled garlic cloves.
5. Melt the remaining butter and pour over the chicken
6. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours
7. Serve with rice and ratatouille of choice.


Recipe 2 – Casserole Method

• 1.5kg chicken
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 40 plump, whole garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter
• 4 fat leeks – white part only, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 tbsp dry white wine
• 8 tbsp good quality chicken stock

1. Preheat the oven to 110 0C. Wipe chicken with a damp cloth and season inside and out with salt and pepper
2. Remove papery skins from garlic but leave whole. Blanch for a few minutes only and drain thoroughly.
3. Heat 2 tbsp’s butter and olive oil in a casserole dish and sauté blanched garlic for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not allow the garlic cloves to brown or they will become bitter. Remove cloves from the dish and set aside.
4. Saute the thinly sliced leeks in the same dish until they are rich and golden. Reserve with garlic.
5. Add the remaining butter and oil to the dish. Raise the heat and brown the chicken thoroughly on all sides.
6. Return the garlic and leek to the dish, season to taste, add the bay leaf, white wine and chicken stock.
7. Cover tightly and place in oven. Cook for at least 1.5 hours or until juices run clear.
8. Garnish with garlic cloves

Oh niiiice!!! Thanks so much for that! Our special Saturday night dinner is spoken for now! Not sure yet, but might try the first version...

And *slaps own idiotic forehead* the other thing I forgot is yep - try to use the younger tender leaves if possible.

[QUOTE=Rhona;281208]Oh niiiice!!! Thanks so much for that! Our special Saturday night dinner is spoken for now! Not sure yet, but might try the first version...
QUOTE]

We use the first version a lot - simply because in the Slow Cooker it looks after itself and fills the kitchen with a delicious aroma when you open the front door.................

This is a superb and friendly forum - I am really enjoying it - Johnny