Dolmades with Avgolemono Sauce is a classic Greek dish that combines the savory flavors of stuffed grape leaves with a rich and tangy sauce. The tender grape leaves are filled with a mixture of rice, ground meat, herbs, and spices, then carefully rolled and simmered in a flavorful broth. The crowning touch is the avgolemono sauce, a velvety and lemony sauce made from eggs and lemon juice that adds a delightful tang and creaminess to the dish. This delectable combination of flavors and textures makes dolmades with avgolemono sauce a beloved dish enjoyed by many.
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DOLMADES WITH AVGOLEMENO SAUCE
From Closet Cooking site with some variations. These can either be a main dish or an appetizer, depending on your appetite and amount you put inside each. Serve with good crusty bread and a Greek salad. I like IngridH's suggestion that you fry up a small portion first to do a test taste for salt and pepper adjustments. You will get somewhere between 32 to 35 of them. Also, think you could sub swiss chard leaves for grape. Recommend making ahead and warming up later or freeze w/o sauce. Could be adapted to crockpot if you want- guessing 2 hours on low with WEIGHTED plate directly on dolmades. You do not want it to boil. Here is a link for rolling with 9 slide shots http://greekfood.about.com/od/greekcookinglessons/ss/foldleaves.htm
Provided by WiGal
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 2h55m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Separate the grape leaves and place in a large bowl. (This will take a long time guessing 20 minutes.).
- Cover the leaves in boiling water and soak for 20 minutes.
- Drain the water and rinse leaves few times.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add onion, rice, and water.
- Cover and simmer until rice is HALF cooked, about 8 minutes.
- Drain off and discard any liquid.
- Add garlic to rice mixture.
- Mix the onion/rice mixture, ground meat, tomato puree, feta, lemon zest, green onions, dill, mint salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- PREHEAT OVEN to 375 degrees.
- Take one leaf, shiny side down, cut off the stem, and place 1 teaspoon of the mixture at the bottom (stem) end of the leaf. (If you want a bigger amount, put 1 tablespoon of filling in.).
- Fold both sides of the leaf towards the center, roll up from the broad bottom to the top, and place into a 4 QUART POT.
- Repeat with all leaves, rolling tightly- leaving no gaps as leaves are placed in pot (to prevent from opening while cooking). Put onto tray.
- Repeat until all of the filling is used up.
- Put leftover leaves in bottom of baking dish.
- Place stuffed grape leaves into a baking dish in layers, squeeze them gently, pack tightly into container, and just cover with chicken stock-might be too much stock. WEIGH DOWN BY placing a heavy oven proof plate inside casserole directly on top of dolmades-weigh that down with another oven proof weight.
- Bake in a 375 degrees F oven for about 1 hour, check to see if rice is done. You do NOT want it to be a rolling boil or they will burst open.
- Whisk the eggs in bowl over a small pan of simmering water until frothy, about 3 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the lemon juice while whisking.
- Gradually add some of the hot but not boiling liquid from the baking dish-guessing about 5 tablespoons- and continue whisking until it thickens.
- Mix most of the avgolemeno sauce into the dish with the dolmades reserving some for garnish.
- Serve the dolmades garnished with the reserved avgolemeno sauce and some chopped dill and or mint.
EASY AVGOLEMONO SAUCE
I'm Hispanic, my husband is a first generation Greek-American. Suffice to say that he's a Greek Food Purist...!!! He never thought I'd be able to produce anything that would be considered authentic. This easy version of Avgolemono Sauce, I'm happy to say, passes muster. This can be served on so many things, but our favorite is over Dolmades and over stuffed peppers. Nothing scary here, it's easy so long as you temper the eggs carefully and never let the sauce come to a boil.
Provided by Jostlori
Categories Sauces
Time 10m
Yield 1 cup
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- In a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the lemon juice and whisk until frothy.
- While continuing to whisk, pour half the boiling broth into the eggs in a small stream, whisking vigorously and continually so that the eggs don't cook.
- Return the broth to the flame and pour the tempered eggs into the remaining broth, whisking the whole time. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly, but NEVER LET THE SAUCE BOIL. This will take about five minutes.
- Serve immediately. This sauce doesn't reheat well.
Tips:
- Use fresh grape leaves. Fresh grape leaves are more pliable and easier to work with than dried leaves. If you can't find fresh grape leaves, you can use dried leaves that have been soaked in warm water for 30 minutes.
- Blanch the grape leaves before using them. Blanching the grape leaves helps to soften them and make them more pliable. To blanch the leaves, dip them in boiling water for a few seconds, then remove them and immediately place them in cold water.
- Use a variety of fillings. Dolmades can be filled with a variety of fillings, including rice, ground meat, vegetables, and herbs. Some popular fillings include:
- Rice and ground beef: This is a classic dolmades filling that is always a crowd-pleaser.
- Rice and vegetables: This is a vegetarian-friendly filling that is packed with flavor and nutrients.
- Lamb and pine nuts: This is a luxurious filling that is perfect for special occasions.
- Season the filling well. The filling is the most important part of the dolmades, so make sure to season it well. Use a combination of herbs, spices, and salt and pepper to create a flavorful filling.
- Roll the dolmades tightly. The dolmades should be rolled tightly so that they don't fall apart during cooking. To roll the dolmades, place a spoonful of filling in the center of a grape leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling, then roll the leaf up from the bottom. Tuck in the edges of the leaf as you roll.
- Cook the dolmades in a flavorful broth. The dolmades should be cooked in a flavorful broth that will help to enhance their flavor. Some popular broth options include:
- Chicken broth: This is a classic broth that is always a good choice.
- Vegetable broth: This is a vegetarian-friendly broth that is also a good choice.
- Beef broth: This is a more flavorful broth that is perfect for dolmades made with ground beef.
- Serve the dolmades with avgolemono sauce. Avgolemono sauce is a classic Greek sauce made with eggs, lemon juice, and broth. This sauce is the perfect complement to dolmades, as it adds a creamy, tangy flavor.
Conclusion:
Dolmades are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They are perfect for a light lunch or dinner, and they can also be served as an appetizer or side dish. With a little practice, you can easily make dolmades at home. So next time you're looking for a new and exciting dish to try, give dolmades a try!
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