Lamb With Feta Cheese And Grape Leaves Recipes

Steps:

• Place ground lamb, rice, 1/4 cups olive oil, mint, currants, pine nuts, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, and egg in a bowl. Mix together thoroughly with a fork. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Gently unroll and separate grape leaves. Rinse in cold water to remove brine. Drain. Reserve broken or less-than-perfect leaves to line pot.
• Place grape leaves on work surface with smooth side down (ribs of leaves up). Place a rounded tablespoon of lamb-rice filling near bottom-center of grape leaf. Fold bottom sections of leaf over mixture, fold over sides, and roll toward the top of the leaf into a firm cylinder. Don't roll too tightly or leaves may burst when rice cooks.
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into pot; line bottom of pot with 1 or 2 layers of reserved grape leaves. Place dolmas in pot by arranging them along the sides, then working toward the center to cover the bottom. Leave enough space between dolmas to allow for expansion, but close enough to hold their shapes when cooking. If necessary, stack another layer on top of the first so they all fit. Pour in lemon juice and 2 teaspoons olive oil.
• Invert a small plate and then a larger plate over the dolmas to weigh them down while they cook and prevent them from shifting. Pour in hot chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, over medium-high heat. As soon as liquid is heated through and starting to bubble (2 to 4 minutes), reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and cook 35 minutes. Remove plates and check for doneness. Dolmas should look a bit puffed up, and a fork should pierce them easily. If not quite done, continue cooking without the weights: cover the pot and simmer until rice is tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
• Serve warm or chilled. Garnish with curls of lemon zest, if desired.

Steps:

• To make the lamb, in a cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the lamb and cook, stirring to break up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it begins to brown. Add the salt, oregano, and mint and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes, until the lamb is cooked through. Remove from the heat.
• To make the salad, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix well.
• To fry the chickpeas, pour the oil to a depth of 1 to 2 inches into a heavy saucepan or deep sauté pan and heat to 350 degrees F on a deep-frying thermometer. Add the chickpeas and fry for about 5 minutes, until browned and crisp. Drain the chickpeas on a plate lined with paper towels. Transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with the chili powder and salt and toss to coat evenly.
• Line up half of the bread slices on a work surface. Top each slice with 2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) of the cheese, one-fourth each of the lamb, salad, and chickpeas, and then finish with another 1 ounce (about 2 1/2 tablespoons) of the cheese. Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices.
• Line a large platter with paper towels. In a skillet over high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Turn down the heat to low, add 1 sandwich, and cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until browned and crisp on both sides and the cheese is melted. Transfer to the prepared platter to blot the excess grease. Repeat with the remaining butter and sandwiches.
• Cut the sandwiches in half, plate, and serve.

Steps:

• Carefully separate the grape leaves, place in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Let the leaves soak for 20 minutes, then drain and rinse to remove excess salt. Drain the leaves, snip off the stems (reserving stems), and lay the leaves on a towel to dry.
• In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil, and stir in the rice. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook rice until water is absorbed, about 17 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet, add the onion and saute until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute one more minute, until aromas are released. Add the lamb and cook until the meat is well browned, breaking it apart with a fork while cooking, about 15 minutes. Add the oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the feta and remove from the heat. Stir in the rice, parsley and mint.
• Place one leaf on a flat surface, vein side up, shiny side down. Place a rounded teaspoon of filling in the center of the leaf, near the stem edge. Fold the stem end over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle, and form into a roll. Squeeze lightly in the palm of your hand to secure the roll. Repeat process with remaining leaves and filling.
• Line the bottom of a 3quart heavy saucepan with reserved stems, trimmings and any leftover or torn grape leaves, and arrange bundles seam sides down, packing them close together in layers.
• Combine the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil with 3/4 cup water, the sugar, and lemon juice, and pour over the stuffed grape leaves. Place a small, heatproof plate on top of the stuffed leaves, cover the pan and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until leaves are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Serve warm, garnished with lemon slices and mint leaves.

Steps:

• Stir first 6 ingredients in small bowl to blend.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Rub mixture on both sides of lamb.
• Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450.
• Place lamb, fat side down, in roasting pan.
• Roast 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 375 and continue roasting until thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb registers 135 for medium-rare, about 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven; cool slightly.
• Cut into 1/4-inch slices.
• Cook grape leaves in large pot of boiling water 30 seconds.
• Drain well.
• Pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine cheese and parsley in bowl.
• Season with pepper.
• Butter 15x10x2" glass baking dish.
• Place 8 grape leaves in dish, spacing slightly apart.
• Arrange 2 lamb slices atop each grape leaf (reserve remaining lamb for another use).
• Spoon 2 tablespoons cheese mixture over lamb on each leaf.
• Top each with another grape leaf, covering lamb and cheese.
• Brush with melted butter.
• (Grape leaf bundles can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate).
• Preheat oven to 400.
• Bake until lamb is heated through, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer grape leaf bundles to platter.

Steps:

• Wash and soak the rice in hot water for 30 minutes.
• Place the rice, lamb, beef, coriander, garlic, lemon salt, olive oil, allspice, cinnamon and 2 tablespoons salt in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly by hand.
• Place a grape leaf on a cutting board. Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the leaf. Fold over the sides and roll tightly from bottom to top. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
• Place the tomatoes evenly in the bottom of a stockpot. Place the rolled leaves in the pot, pointing towards the center of pot. Place a small plate with a weight on top of the grape leaves to hold them in place. Add 1 cup water to the pot and heat over medium heat. Cook for 45 minutes.
• Serve the stuffed grape leaves with lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Saute onion in olive oil, just until translucent. Add rice and cook until rice is fragrant, and lightly toasted. Add half of the lemon juice and 1/2 cup water, and cook until water is absorbed. You want the rice only partially cooked at this stage.
• Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add herbs, salt and pepper, and feta. Use the smaller amount at first, and taste. If you like yours really cheesy, add more.
• Stuff the leaves. Lay one leaf out flat, with the shiny side down, and place about a teaspoon of filling near the stem. Roll over once, fold the sides in, and roll the rest of the way. Keep the roll slightly loose, as the filling will expand slightly during cooking. If some of your leaves are small, you can overlap two of them and roll the same way.
• Use any torn or broken leaves to line the bottom of a large saucepan or skillet, or place a wide, flat vegetable steamer in the pan. You want to keep your finished rolls from touching the bottom, so they won't burn.
• Place rolls seam side down on top of broken leaves or steamer, and add water to cover, along with the rest of the lemon juice. You may want to place the lid from a smaller pan, or a plate on top of the rolls to keep them from moving around too much. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until rice is tender.
• Serve warm, with yogurt or tzatziki sauce.

Steps:

• Marinate the lamb first. Put the racks into a non-metallic dish and mix the thyme, oil, lemon zest, garlic and half the oregano in a bowl. Rub this all over the lamb, then leave to marinate for at least 30 mins or up to 24 hrs. It's important that you cook the lamb from room temperature rather than fridge cold, so if you're cooking within 1 hr or so, leave it out of the fridge.
• For the sauce, finely chop the parsley stalks. Heat a large ovenproof frying pan or wide casserole, then add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and the stalks, then soften for 1 min. Add the tomatoes and remaining oregano, then simmer for 5 mins until saucy, popping the cherry tomatoes with your wooden spoon to release all the juices and seeds. Chop the parsley leaves roughly and add half to the pan. Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/ gas 8. Make the crust by mixing the remaining parsley leaves, feta, zest, oregano and breadcrumbs in a bowl.
• When you're ready to cook the lamb, leave most of the tasty marinade on the meat, season it well with salt and freshly ground pepper, then press the crust onto one side of each piece. Sit the racks in the sauce, with the crust-side facing upwards. Strew the thyme sprigs from the marinade over the lamb and into the sauce, then drizzle everything with a little extra virgin olive oil. Roast the lamb in the sauce, uncovered, for 20 mins (for pink and juicy meat) until the crust is golden and the sauce thickened. Leave to rest for 10 mins, loosely covered, so that the crust doesn't go soggy, then carve the lamb between each bone to make cutlets. Serve the crusted cutlets with spoonfuls of the intense, roasted-down tomato sauce, and the Easy buttered onion pilaf and Lemony greens (recipes below). Garnish with thyme.

Steps:

• Take the lamb out of the fridge at least 1 hr before cooking to come to room temperature. Score the skin into 3cm diamonds using a sharp knife, but don't cut too deep.
• Cut the garlic bulb in half to expose the flesh of each clove. Set one half aside, then pop the cloves from the remaining half out of their skins. Put these in a small food processor along with most of the mint and parsley, the rosemary, lemon zest, preserved lemon and a large pinch of salt. Blitz the mixture together, or pound using a pestle and mortar, adding half the olive oil once the herbs have started to break down. Pour the marinade over the lamb, massaging it into the cuts. Leave to marinate at room temperature for at least 30 mins, or chill for up to 24 hrs.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the lamb in your largest roasting tin (you'll need space to add the potatoes later). Wrap well with foil and bake for 45 mins.
• Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large pan of cold salted water. Set over a medium heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 mins. Drain and leave to steam-dry for 10 mins.
• Remove the lamb from the oven and lift onto a board. Drizzle the remaining oil into the roasting tin, then tip in the potatoes, fresh lemon slices and the remaining garlic bulb half, rubbing the cut side in the oil. Season and toss to coat the potatoes and lemon slices in the oil and lamb juices. Sit the lamb on top.
• Return to the oven for 35 mins more for medium (a thermometer should read 55C), or 50 mins for well done. Transfer the lamb to a warm platter, cover and leave to rest. Meanwhile, shake the potatoes around in the tin and return to the oven for another 20-25 mins, or until golden and crisp. Swirl the harissa paste through the yogurt.
• Roughly chop the remaining mint and parsley. Scatter the chopped herbs and feta over the potatoes. Carve the lamb and pour any roasting juices into the spiced yogurt, and mix through. Serve the lamb and potatoes with peas or spring greens, and the spiced yogurt sauce on the side for drizzling over.