Lahanodolmades Yialantzi of Macedonia and Thrace (Λαχανοντολμάδες Γιαλαντζί)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •large deep pot, 6 to 8 liters, for blanching the cabbage
• •wide heavy pot or rondeau, 28cm, for simmering the rolls
• •heatproof plate that fits inside the pot

Instructions

1. 1

   Blanch the cabbage

   Cut a cone around the cabbage core and pull out as much of it as you can. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, lower in the cabbage, and turn it with tongs. As the outer leaves soften, peel them away one by one and lift them to a tray. Keep going until you have 24 to 28 usable leaves. The leaves must bend without cracking, because this is what lets the rolls close neatly without tearing.

   Save the torn small leaves. They line the pot and protect the rolls from catching on the bottom.
2. 2

   Trim the leaves

   Lay each leaf vein-side up and shave the thick rib flat with a small knife. Leave small leaves whole. Cut very large leaves in half along the rib. You want pieces roughly the size of your hand, soft enough to fold but not ragged.

3. 3

   Start the filling

   Warm 80ml of the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the yellow onions and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until they turn soft and sweet but do not brown. Stir in the spring onions and rice, and cook for 2 minutes so the rice is glossy with oil.

4. 4

   Season the rice

   Add 150ml of the hot water, the lemon zest, 30ml of the lemon juice, the salt, and the pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the water is mostly absorbed and the rice is still firm at the center. Take the pan off the heat and fold in the dill, parsley, and mint. The filling should taste a little too lemony and a little too salty; the cabbage will quiet it down.

5. 5

   Roll the dolmades

   Line the bottom of a wide heavy pot with the torn cabbage leaves. Place one prepared leaf on the board, vein-side up and stem end toward you. Add 1 level tablespoon of filling near the base, fold the sides over, and roll away from you into a neat parcel. Roll snugly, not tightly. Rice swells in the pot, and if you pack it like a coin purse it will split the leaf. Set each roll seam-side down in the pot.

6. 6

   Pack the pot

   Arrange the rolls close together in one or two layers, seam-side down, so they support each other. Pour over the remaining 70ml olive oil, the remaining 60ml lemon juice, and 500ml hot water. The liquid should come about halfway up the rolls, not drown them. Cover with a few spare cabbage leaves, then set a heatproof plate on top to keep everything in place.

7. 7

   Simmer gently

   Bring the pot to a gentle bubble over medium heat, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 to 55 minutes. Shake the pot once or twice instead of stirring. The rolls are ready when the cabbage is tender and the rice inside has lost its chalky center.

8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Take the pot off the heat and let the rolls rest, covered, for 30 minutes. This rest matters. The rice finishes drinking the lemony oil and the rolls firm enough to lift cleanly. Serve warm or at room temperature with spoonfuls of the pot liquor, extra dill, a thread of olive oil, and lemon wedges.

Chef Tips

• •Choose a heavy winter cabbage with tight, pale leaves. If the leaves are leathery, they fight you; if the cabbage is loose and tired, the rolls taste flat. Λίγα και καλά: one good cabbage is better than a basket of poor ones.
• •If you have northern Greek sour cabbage leaves, rinse them well and use them without blanching. Cut the lemon juice in the pot to 45ml and taste before salting, because the brine has already spoken.
• •Don't finish these with avgolemono if you're cooking them for Lent. Yialantzi means the meat is gone, and for the fasting table the sauce is olive oil, lemon, and the starch from the rice. It is enough.
• •They are better after resting. Cook them in the morning, leave them covered, and serve them warm or at room temperature with olives, bread, and a plate of horta.

Advance Preparation

• •The cabbage can be blanched and trimmed 1 day ahead. Stack the leaves, cover, and chill.
• •The filling can be made up to 12 hours ahead and chilled. Bring it back near room temperature before rolling.
• •The cooked rolls keep well for 3 days in the refrigerator. Warm them gently with a spoonful of water, or serve them at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 430g)