Azerbaijani Yarpag Dolmasi

So, This is Yarpag Dolmasi. I actually had no part in putting this one together (I was exceptionally lazy that day). That said, they turned out amazing well (even if the name does sound like a villain from a Star Trek movie).

We didn't have grape leaves--so we used collard greens instead and it worked incredibly well! The recipe this is based on is here. As you probably noticed, stuffed grape leaves isn't necessarily unique to Azerbaijan. But hey, it's not like they've got a lot of other things to claim as their own. So I suppose we'll let it slide. There is also a garlic yogurt sauce...but as I've mentioned before, gooey ain't really my style.



So, to the ingredients:

1 pound (450g) ground lamb or beef
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
½ cup short or medium grain rice, washed and drained
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
½ cup chopped fresh dill (you can use 2-3 tablespoons of the dry stuff)
½ cup chopped fresh mint
 1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon or to taste, pepper
a bundle of collards
3 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup water

Directions:

1. To prepare the filling, in a mixing bowl combine meat, onion, rice, fresh herbs, salt and pepper and knead thoroughly.

2. Blanch the collards for 2 minutes in boiling water. Then, cut out the stems or any really big veins.

3. Hold the collard on the palm of your left hand, and place 1 or 2 teaspoons of the filling at the stalk end of the leaf. With your right hand, fold top, then the sides over the filling and roll up tightly. Seriously...this is an art form.

4. Arrange the wrapped nuggets of deliciousness close together seam side down in a medium non-stick pan, making several layers and add a little salt.

5. Pour butter over your wrapped collards and add water. Place a small lid or a small ovenproof plate on top to keep dolmas tight and to prevent them from opening. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium to low and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the leaves are tender and the filling is cooked. There should be little liquid left, reduced to the oily consistency.


Next week, we'll be doing the Bahamas. Their national dish is cracked conch over peas and rice. You're probably thinking "Scott, that's crazy! Where in the heck are you going to get conch in Baltimore?" And my audience of roughly two to three people would be right. Anyways, it appears that there is an asian grocer outside the city that sells conch. My hope is that it's already dead when I get it (though that might be kind of an interesting pet). Anyways, more to come next week!