Using Preserved Vine Leaves

Using Preserved Vine Leaves

See how to preserve vine leaves here

For Pickle Crisping (see pickle recipes here)

This is why I started preserving them in the first place.

1. When making fermented pickles (cucumbers, green beans, okra, whatever), add 1-2 preserved vine leaves to each jar.
2. Place them on top of the vegetables before adding your brine or weights.
3. The tannins in the leaves keep vegetables crunchy by inhibiting the enzymes that cause softening.

Other sources of tannins for pickling:

• Oak leaves
• Horseradish leaves
• Black tea (loose leaf or bags)
• Bay leaves

But vine leaves are my favourite—they're neutral-tasting and incredibly effective.

Stuffed Sardines in Vine Leaves (Stephanie Alexander Style).

This is one of my favourite ways to use vine leaves—the method from Stephanie Alexander's The Cook's Companion. 

1. About 12 Fresh sardines - cleaned (you can buy gorgeous Australian sardines already cleaned). 
2. Otherwise, clean and gut the fish, leaving heads on, wash and dry
3. Stuff the sardines with a mix of the below of:
   1.  fresh coriander (about a bunch, you could also use sage, or parsley, some preserved lemon peel or thin quarter slice of fresh lemon)
   2. 2 tablespoons of toasted and chopped pine nuts
   3. a couple cloves of garlic, finely chopped
   4. salt and pepper to taste
4. Unroll a preserved vine leaf cigar and separate leaves.
5. Rinse leaves if you need
6. Wrap each fish in a vine leaf, creating a neat package, secure with a toothpick if need be
7. Brush wrapped fish with olive oil.
8. Grill over medium-high heat for 2-4 minutes per side. The vine leaves will char and become crispy in places.
9. Serve immediately, with some lemon on the side. Chomp them down! 

For Dolmades (Stuffed Vine Leaves)

1. Remove the number of leaf cigars you need from the jar (each cigar = 10 leaves).
2. Unroll the cigar carefully. The leaves will separate easily.
3. Rinse leaves briefly under cold water to remove excess salt if desired.
4. Pat dry.
5. Prepare your filling: Traditional Lebanese/Greek filling is cooked rice, herbs (parsley, mint, dill), lemon, olive oil. Sometimes minced lamb is added.
6. Place a leaf shiny-side down, vein-side up. Put a spoonful of filling near the stem end.
7. Fold the sides in, then roll from stem end to tip, creating a neat little package.
8. Pack rolled dolmades tightly in a pot, seam-side down. Layer them if needed.
9. Weight them down with a plate to keep them from unrolling.
10. Cover with water or stock, add lemon juice and olive oil, bring to a simmer.
11. Cook gently for 45-60 minutes until rice is tender and leaves are soft.

Dolmades can be served hot or cold. I love them cold with yoghurt or tahini sauce.

For Other Wraps

Vine leaves can wrap almost anything for grilling or steaming:

• Cheese - this is so good - just a melty cheese between 2 leaves on the grill. (Sheeps or goat cheese, gruyere, raclette) 
• Rice balls (arancini-style, wrapped and steamed)
• Vegetable parcels (roasted vegetables wrapped with herbs)
• Quail or small birds (wrapped and roasted)

The principle is the same: the leaves protect delicate ingredients while adding subtle flavour.