Grape Leaves with Ground Meat Filling

Ingredients

• 2 shallots (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp Sesame oil
• 300 g ground lamb
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 100 g cooked rice
• 1 egg yolk
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 20 grape leaves (from a brine in a Greek or Turkish store)
• juice of one lemon
• 200 g olives (black and green)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Sauté shallots in sesame oil, add ground lamb and cook until crumbly. Stir in tomato paste, cook briefly, then mix in rice and egg yolk; season with salt and pepper.

2. 2.

   Rinse grape leaves under cold water and pat dry; place two leaves together, using only one leaf for very large ones.

3. 3.

   Fill the grape leaves with the mixture, fold the sides inward, and roll them up tightly.

4. 4.

   Place the rolled leaves in a small pot, drizzle lemon juice over them, cover with water, and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Then continue cooking uncovered for another 10–15 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

5. 5.

   Let the grape leaves cool in the remaining broth. Serve arranged on a plate with olives beside them.