Pontic Lahanodolmades me Pligouri (Λαχανοντολμάδες με Πλιγούρι)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •large stockpot, 6 to 8 liters, for blanching cabbage
• •heavy wide pot with lid, 28 to 30cm
• •small sharp knife for shaving cabbage ribs
• •heatproof plate that fits inside the pot

Instructions

1. 1

   Soften the cabbage

   Cut out the cabbage core in a cone shape. Lower the whole cabbage into a large pot of salted boiling water and simmer, turning it now and then, until the outer leaves loosen and bend without snapping, 12 to 15 minutes. Lift it out, peel away the softened leaves, and return the tight center to the pot for a few more minutes if needed.

2. 2

   Trim the leaves

   Lay the leaves flat and shave down the thick central ribs with a small knife. Keep the large leaves for rolling and tear the small or damaged ones into pieces. Those scraps are not waste. They line the pot and protect the rolls from the direct heat.

3. 3

   Start the filling

   Warm 80ml of the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and sweet, about 10 minutes. Stir in the spring onions, tomato paste, grated tomato, paprika, pepper, parsley, dill, and mint, then cook for 3 minutes until the tomato loses its raw edge.

4. 4

   Add the bulgur

   Stir in the rinsed bulgur and cook for 2 minutes so every grain is glossy with oil and tomato. Take the pan off the heat. The bulgur should still be firm, because it will finish inside the cabbage and drink the cooking liquid slowly.

5. 5

   Roll the dolmades

   Place one cabbage leaf on the board, rib side facing you. Add 1 heaped tablespoon of filling near the base, fold the sides over, and roll firmly but not tightly. Bulgur swells. If you pack the rolls like coins in a purse, they split.

6. 6

   Line the pot

   Cover the bottom of a heavy pot with the torn cabbage leaves and ribs. Set the rolls seam side down in snug layers. This is the step that decides the dish: the cabbage lining makes a soft bed, so the bottom rolls steam and braise instead of scorching before the bulgur is tender.

   If the pot is wide, make one low layer. If it is narrower, make two neat layers and keep them snug so they don't open.
7. 7

   Simmer gently

   Pour in 600ml hot water or light vegetable broth, the remaining 40ml olive oil, and the lemon juice. The liquid should come about three-quarters up the rolls, not drown them. Set an inverted plate over the rolls to hold them in place, cover the pot, and simmer very gently for 55 to 65 minutes.

8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Turn off the heat and let the lahanodolmades rest in the covered pot for 20 minutes. They settle, the bulgur finishes swelling, and the juices thicken around the rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges and a spoonful of the pot liquor.

Chef Tips

• •Choose a loose-leafed white cabbage, not a tight little cannonball. The leaves must bend around the filling without tearing, so size and flexibility matter more than beauty.
• •Coarse bulgur is right here. Fine bulgur turns pasty before the cabbage is tender, and rice gives you another dish. Λίγα και καλά: use the grain the region asks for.
• •These are better after a rest. Make them in the morning, let them sit covered, and serve them warm or room temperature with lemon and bread for the juices.

Advance Preparation

• •The cabbage can be blanched and trimmed 1 day ahead; keep the leaves covered in the refrigerator.
• •The filling can be cooked up to 1 day ahead and chilled, but roll it while still loose, before the bulgur absorbs every drop.
• •Finished lahanodolmades keep well for 3 days refrigerated and reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 420g)