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Category: Ariana’s Recipies

DOLMEYEH FELFEL

MOORISH STUFFED VINE LEAVES

Unlike Greek dolma, which are slightly sour and lemony, and have a fresher, ‘less-cooked’ taste to them, Iranian dolmehs are more decadent and rich. They have a hint of sweetness and are stuffed with rice, ground lamb and sometimes tart barberries or walnuts. Slow cooking makes the leaves a little sticky – really more-ish as well as Moorish.

In season, the villagers would bring wooden crates of grapes to our home. The grapes nestled in between large beautiful leaves, which the cooks would snap off and make ready for dolmehs. The elaborate preparation and the quantity (usually a lot!) gave the ladies of the house an excuse to gather round to chat and gossip while stuffing and rolling the leaves like mini cigars. Dolmehs are usually served as an appetiser.

For the stuffing:
see Dolmeyeh Felfel (stuffed peppers, page 152)
For the sauce:
see Dolmeyeh Felfel (stuffed peppers, page 152)
50–60 vine leaves, fresh or canned
olive oil, for oiling
lemon wedges, to serve

Prepare the stuffing and leave it to cool. Prepare either of the sauces. If you are using fresh leaves, blanch them in batches of 3–4 in boiling water just for a minute or two. Remove them and pour some cold water over them. Let them dry. For canned leaves, drain off the brine, rinse them in cold water and set aside to dry. Take a large wide pot or an ovenproof dish and oil the bottom well.

Line the bottom of the pan or dish with leaves: use about three layers. Now take some more leaves and clip the stalks with a sharp knife or scissors. Stack the leaves, vein side up (the presentation side needs to be smooth). Take a leaf and add one rounded tbsp of the stuffing. Roll slightly, then fold both sides in and continue rolling until you have a fat ‘cigar’. If the leaves are small, overlap them so that you can wrap the stuffing comfortably. Place them in the pot or dish you prepared, laying them with the flap facing down. Lay them on top of each other as they start to fill the pan, packing them together snugly so that they don’t fall apart during cooking. Pour the sauce over the dolmehs and place a smaller ovenproof dish on top so that the weight keeps them from expanding and falling apart. Cover the dish and either place it in the oven at 180˚C/350˚F/ Gas Mark 4 for 1½ hours; or cook on top of the stove on a medium-low heat for about an hour or until the leaves are tender. Arrange the dolmehs on a serving dish, spooning over some of the sauce to make them look glossy. Serve with the rest of the sauce on the side, plus lemon wedges.

MY PERSIAN PIMM’S

Just mix together pomegranate juice, a little sekanjebeen, and some chopped apples, strawberries, mint, oranges and pomegranates seeds.

MY TWIST ON THE CLASSIC FETA, HERB AND WALNUT DISH

Take some good quality crumbly (not creamy) Persian or French Feta and crush in a bowl between your fingers. Best to use some plastic gloves here. Add a teaspoon of yogurt or sour cream to it and mix until you have a thick dry uneven paste. Now roll the feta into large hazelnuts size balls and keep in the fridge.

Prepare 3 plates on your counter top. Chop some fresh basil, mint, chives and a little bit of tarragon and place on one plate. Finely chop some walnuts and also place on plate number two and on the third plate sprinkle some crushed dried rose petals. Take out feta balls and roll them in the different mixtures. Serve with some fresh bread of your choice and enjoy!

ARIANA’S LEMONADE

MIX THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS AND LET SIT IN FRIDGE FOR AT LEAST 2 HOURS

3 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 18-20 lemons) pls use fresh lemons
2 cups superfine sugar or agave nectar
4 cups water
1/3 cup rosewater

MY PERSIAN PIMM’S

Just mix together pomegranate juice, a little sekanjebeen, and some chopped apples, strawberries, mint, oranges and pomegranates seeds.

ARIANA’S ROSE WATER AND CITRUS SCENTED FISH (TO SERVE WITH SHIRIN POLO OR JEWELLED RICE)

4 pieces of sea bass, skin on (or any other white fish that you like)
1 tablespoon butter (optional, can replace with olive oil)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lemon
1/2 orange
1/2 tablespoon rosewater (Rabee brand or other Persian brands) plus 1 tablespoon for sauce
salt & pepper to taste

‘Wash’ the fish in the rosewater, by simply rinsing the filets in a bowl. In the olden times in the city of Kashan where Persian rosewater comes from, people did this to remove the fishy smell and to give the fish a whiter and brighter hue. Pat them dry. Score the skin of your fish with 2-3 lines using a sharp knife. This will stop the edges of the fish from rolling upwards when cooking and keep it nice and flat.

Heat a large non-stick pan with the butter and olive oil. Sear the pieces of fish on high heat at first, then reduce the heat to medium, and let them cook until white around the edges but still a bit pink right in the middle. Flip them over and add 1/2 lemon, 1/2 orange to the fish and 1 teaspoon rosewater. It will bubble away and smell wonderful but cook very quickly so watch them carefully. Add salt and pepper, a knob of butter if you like, and remove from heat. The skin will be light golden brown and the fish soft and tender. Top with rose petals if you like and a little bit of chopped parsley. Serve alongside the Jeweled rice and enjoy!

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