Book of Days Tales

The first Saturday in April is Ulcinj Municipality Day. Ulcinj is the southernmost municipality in Montenegro with most of the residents being Albanian. Therefore, the day celebrates the culture of the municipality including music, dance, and traditional foods.  Here is a recipe for dolma japrak, stuffed grape leaves, a common dish throughout the Balkans but with local twists.

Ingredients

600 gm pickled grape leaves
400 gm lamb mince
1 onion, peeled and diced      
75 gm rice
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
vegetable stock
25 gm chopped parsley
1 tsp basil
olive oil
salt

Instructions

Sauté the onions in olive oil over medium heat until they start to brown.

Turn off the heat and add the meat, rice, pepper, paprika, a little vegetable stock, parsley and basil. Mix all the ingredients together.

Carefully unwrap the vine leaves. Place one vine leaf on your hand with the base on the bottom of your palm and the point pointing towards the top. Add a second vine leaf with the point pointing downwards and base of the leaf at the top of your fingers. there should be a good overlap. You can do this on a flat surface if preferred.

Place a spoonful of the meat and rice mixture in the middle of the leaves. Fold the bottom of the leaf over the mixture, fold in both sides and the roll the leaf upwards sealing in the mixture into a parcel shape but leaving room for expansion as the rice cooks.

Place a layer of vine leaves in the bottom of a deep saucepan and then add the vine leaf parcels on top.

Make as many vine leaf parcels as the meat and rice mixture will make adding each one to the saucepan. Pack the parcels side by side util the saucepan is covered, then start another layer on top.

Pour enough boiling water into the saucepan to just cover the top of the vine leaves and bring to a boil. Turn to a simmer and cook with a lid on for 1½ hours. All the water should be absorbed, however top up with a little extra boiling water if this happens before the time is up.