TURKISH STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES
The stuffed grape leaf, oftentimes referred to as dolma, is an under appreciated member of the meze family. In favor of the ubiquitous hummus and pita or cucumber and yogurt salad, stuffed grape leaves tend to get passed over. In fact, one of my closest friends and my own mother find this Middle Eastern staple off-putting. I, too, remember a time when I shied away from stuffed grape leaves based solely on the fact that the dish involved the use of a leaf. (Then again, I was 9-years-old; I’m not sure what their excuse is.) Expecting a vegetal, grassy flavor, I was caught off-guard by the savory, sweet, and sour flavor packed inside of each tiny bundle.
Having made many different versions of stuffed grape leaves, no recipe renders more consistent and flavorful results than that of Claudia Roden’s in her spectacular cookbook, Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey and Lebanon. After making these from scratch you’ll find that the flavor of a homemade stuffed grape leaf is light-years away from those that come from a can.