Dolmades with Vine Leaves and Raisins
Vine Leaves
Dolmades with Vine Leaves and Raisins
Dolmades are one of the most honest dishes in the Cretan kitchen. Ours are made with vine leaves picked from the same plants that produce our raisins — and a filling that includes both, which is how they’re made in the villages around Profitis Ilias.
Ingredients
- 40–50 vine leaves (from a jar, rinsed)
- 200 g short-grain rice (Carolino or arborio)
- 80 g raisins (unsalted) — Golden Delies raisins
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 bunch dill, chopped
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 120 ml good olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Hot water as needed
Method
- Heat half the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8–10 minutes until completely soft and starting to turn golden.
- Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes until the grains turn translucent at the edges. Remove from the heat.
- Add the raisins, parsley, dill, the juice of one lemon, salt and pepper. Mix well. Taste the filling — it should be well-seasoned. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Lay each vine leaf flat, shiny side down. Place a rounded teaspoon of filling at the stem end of the leaf. Don’t overfill — the rice will expand as it cooks.
- Fold the bottom of the leaf up over the filling, fold in the sides, then roll firmly towards the tip. The roll should be snug but not tight. Repeat with all the filling.
- Line the base of a heavy pot with any torn or imperfect leaves — this prevents the dolmades from burning. Arrange the rolls seam-side down in tight layers.
- Pour over the remaining olive oil and the juice of the second lemon. Add enough hot water to barely cover the top layer of rolls.
- Place a heavy plate directly on the dolmades to keep them in place during cooking. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Cover the pot and cook on the lowest heat for 45–50 minutes. The rice should be tender and most of the liquid absorbed. Check at 40 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and leave to rest for 15 minutes with the lid on before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature with plain yoghurt and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Dolmades improve the next day — make them ahead if you can. They keep in the fridge for 4–5 days.
- If the vine leaves are very salty from the brine, soak them in cold water for 20 minutes before using.
- The filling can be made with mint instead of dill for a lighter, more summery flavour.
- For meat dolmades, replace half the rice with 200 g minced lamb and skip the raisins.
Why it works
The raisin in the filling is not an embellishment — it’s part of the recipe as it’s been made around Profitis Ilias for as long as anyone can remember. The natural sweetness of our sun-dried raisins balances the lemon and the faint bitterness of the vine leaves, and their soft texture plays against the rice. Our vine leaves, picked in spring when they are at their most tender, don’t need to be blanched — they go straight from the jar into the recipe without losing anything.