Finally, fresh vine leaves season has started. June could be named as the month dedicated to dolmadakia! 🙂 I don’t think I’ve heard of someone who does not like this Greek traditional delicacy.
Many years ago, long before I started blogging, I read in a cooking magazine (which I recall was Alexia’s Alexiadou) a tip about blanching vine leaves. I recently remembered it and thought I should share it with you. I tried it and, actually, it is very practical, especially if you use to store vine leaves in the freezer.
After rinsing vine leaves, divide them into packets of 10 – 15 leaves. Wrap each packet in a roll and tie with a string. Blanch vine leaves rolls in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, and strain carefully. If you have a colander that can be fit into the pot while blanching, even better. You strain the vine leaves with it, without any losses. Store vine leaves in the freezer, as you always have.
In this way, the vine does not crumple and tear. They are blanched perfectly, plus you can thaw as many as you want by calculating the portions you want to cook.
I hope you find this trick helpful. And as you understand, the next recipe is stuffed vine leaves, aka dolmadakia! 😉
See you in a few days!
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