Stuffed Grape Leaves Series: Part I

Stuffed grape leaves are a staple mezze in Syrian cuisine, and while assembling the stuffing isn't particularly difficult, I was somewhat intimidated by the rolling-of-the-leaves requirement. I worried that I couldn't roll the leaves sufficiently taut as not to fall apart in the boiling process, thereby creating a noxious soup of soggy leaves, vegetables, stray rice, and meats bits. Rather than potentially ruin some quality (and pricey) ground lamb on the first go, I decided to practice by making an unconventional version using some leftovers and this handy pictorial guide.

Rice, dill, garlic, and shrimp with rice made from lobster stock.

Among these leftovers were pre-cooked shrimp and lobster stock, the latter of which, I should be clear, is not a regular in my fridge but rather a special guest that appeared to due me making lobster rolls on a very expensive whim the week earlier. Boiling the shit out of two lobster shells produced about 2 cups of fragrant, slightly sweet stock that I used to cook about 1 cup of rice. I combined the cooked rice with about 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill and 2 tablespoons of minced garlic along with 1 cup of chopped (cooked) shrimp.

After some finagling and only a few duds, I had assembled a small pyramid of rolled grape leaves. I arranged them in a single layer in a saucepan and added what remaining lobster stock I had such that the liquid just barely covered the leaves. Most recipes will then instruct you to simmer on very low heat for about 1 hour but I found 45 minutes was sufficient.

The result: Me Not Fail. The rolls kept their shape and the grape leaves lost any residual bitterness via the infusion of lobster stock, taking on a slightly sweet flavor, as did the tender rice. Dill threads and garlic added an earthy twang that contrasted nicely with the briny shrimp. I would definitely make them again ASAP, but I'm confident enough now in my rolling skills to go on to a more traditional style with lamb, cumin, rice, sultanas, and nuts.

My First Maqluba

Since we're living in a bizarro, upside-down world, why not eat something similarly inverted (albeit far more palatable)? Time then for maqluba,  whose final presentation is achieved by flipping the dish to reveal a stratified plateau of meat, vegetables, and rice.  

Maqluba appears in varying forms in different schools of Middle Eastern cookery, though virtually all involve some form of animal protein (usually lamb), cauliflower and/or eggplant, cooked rice, and multiple spices. 

Ingredients

• 1 pound lamb meat (stew meat or extracted from chops)

• 2-3 cups chicken stock

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

• 1/4 cup chopped onions

• 1 tablespoon allspice

• 1/4 cup minced garlic

• 1 cup grilled sliced eggplant

• 1/2 cup chopped steamed cauliflower

• 2 cups rice

• 1/4 cups nuts (pistachios are ideal; I used cashews)

Directions

1. Combine lamb meat, 1-2 cups of stock, rosemary, onions, and allspice in a small saucepan. Cook uncovered over low-medium heat until lamb chunks are just barely pink inside.

2. Remove meat from any remaining stock and mix with garlic in a separate bowl.

3. Use all remaining stock (including that left in the saucepan) to cook rice until moist and fluffy. Place in separate bowl.

4.  In bottom of original saucepan, layer eggplant slices, then cauliflower, then meat. Add rice last and push down with spatula to compress layers.

5. Place a large plate upside-down on top of pan. Flip contents of pan as gracefully as possible onto plate.*

6. Top maqluba with crushed nuts and season with salt and pepper to taste.

*My technique, as you can see from the photo, needs some work as my maqluba emerged less angular and more hill-like. 

Recipe: Hashweh

I know, I know, it's been fo'evah since I last posted. Although Bridey has been very busy at work and with writing projects, that is no excuse.  I began 2016 on a mission to explore the world of Syrian cuisine and I have barely made a dent in my itinerary.  So, this summer I am recommitting myself to eating, cooking, and researching Syrian food, with a special focus on Damascene dining. To that end, last night I attempted to make Hashweh, also known as 'rice stuffing.' Multiple Middle Eastern countries offer different renditions of this dish, but  there are certain components (ground lamb, medium- to long-grain rice, nuts, dried fruit, cinnamon, onion) common to most versions. 

Nothing that involves pistachios or raisins could be bad.

A while back Aussie Beef & Lamb gifted me with some generous cuts, which I used for an auspicious family gathering.  The last part of their present was a package of ground lamb, which the lazy cook in me was tempted just to use to make burgers with feta and mint sauce.  However, ambitious Bridey took over and decided to make Hashweh.  The recipe below is modified from that developed by Suzy at The Mediterranean Dish.   I used white onions instead of red and pistachios instead of almonds because for whatever reason I couldn't find slivered almonds (time crunch, couldn't handle advanced knife skills) at Randalls.  I blame their absence on Trump, because, well, these days I blame everything on Trump. Moving on.

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ cups medium grain rice
• Olive oil
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• 1 lb ground lamb
• 1¾ tsp allspice, divided
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¾ tsp ground cloves, divided
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon, divided
• salt and pepper
• ½ cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• ⅓-1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• ⅓-1/2 cup pistachios
• ½ cup dark raisins

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak the rice in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain well.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy cooking pot. Add chopped onions in the oil on medium-high heat. Add the ground  lamb and cook 7 minutes.
3.  Add seasonings:  1¼ tsp allspice, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp ground cloves, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, salt and pepper. Toss together to combine, and cook until the meat is fully browned (8-10 minutes).
4. Drain from fat, leaving the meat in the same pot.
5. Top the meat with the rice. Add the remainder of the allspice, ground cloves and cinnamon. Add 2½ cups of water to cover the rice.
6. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil and allow liquid to reduce significantly.
7. Turn the heat to low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes or until moisture has completely been absorbed. Remove from heat.
8. Place a large serving platter on the opening of the rice pot and carefully flip the pot contents onto the platter so that the meat layer is on top of the rice.
9. Garnish with parsley, toasted pine nuts, pistachios, and raisins.

Don't skimp on the spices.

I can't emphasize enough the importance of using high quality spices in the preparation of this dish; also, for those like me who enjoy the type of winter-y sweetness that comes from cinnamon, add a whole stick.

Technically, Hashweh is a side dish, but technically so is macaroni and cheese, nothing prevents me from eating that as my main course. 

Syrian? Rice

In an effort to keep it simple as I can be quite stupid sometimes in the kitchen, I decided to make (Syrian) rice. I remember the rice in Damascus being soft and redolent of chicken broth and cumin.  I found several recipes online, and curiously, all involved two ingredients I did not readily associated with Syrian/Middle Eastern cooking: 1) Butter 2) Pasta.  Also, one of the recipes, actually the one I ended up using, was on a "Real Housemoms" website. (In the future, I hope to God Syria is back on track enough to host a "Real Housewives of Aleppo.")

Those elements that did strike as reminiscent of the region were pine nuts and cinnamon. For whatever reason, many Western cuisines have relegated the latter ingredient exclusively to the realm of desserts and in so doing fail to see its delicious potential when used in savory dishes.

Cooking down the broth

So, it wasn't great. I appreciated the textural variations provided by the inclusion of nuts as well as grains  but the seasonings proportions were way off: too much cinnamon and not enough earthy or protein flavors.  Keeping it simple, it seems, was the wrong strategy.

After our trip to Damascus, Wyatt bought a Syrian and Lebanese cookbook on which I will rely heavily in the coming months. It has several recipes for rice that look more promising.