Upitate li Grke, neki će vam reći da su sarmice u vinovom listu jeli Bogovi sa Olimpa, dok će drugi pak odgovoriti da potiču iz vremena kada je Aleksandar Makedonski osvojio Tebu, pa su stanovnici Tebe, primorani usled nedostatka hrane, komadiće jagnjetine motali u vinov list. Kasnije, kažu, u Vizantiji su modifikovali recept, dodali začine i koristili i lišće smokve i lešnika. Tako su se proširile i na Srednji Istok. Upitate li stanovnika Turske oni će reći da su one njihova kreacija. Lista zemalja koji ih prisvajaju kao jelo porekla njihovih prostora je velika. Bilo kako bilo, drago mi je da smo ih mi usvojili, zajedno sa ostalim povrćem koje volimo da punimo. U Srbiji se tradicionalno koristi mleveno meso, bez koštunjavih plodova. Razlike takođe postoje i u načinu pripreme. U severnim i zapadnim delovima jedu se odmah nakon kuvanja, a ja ih pravim kao moja mama (uticaj juga, za mene jelo nije gotovo dok se ne zapeče u rerni) prelivene pavlakom i zapečene. Sada se retko nalaze na trpezama, verovatno usled nedostatka neprskane vinove loze.
SARMICE U VINOVOM LISTU
35 neprskanih listova vinove loze
1kg mlevenog mesa
1 crni luk sitno seckan
300g pirinča okruglog zrna
3 jaja
suvi začin, so, peršun
pavlaka
1 jaje
par kašika mleka
Na ulju propržiti kratko luk, pa dodati meso i pržiti uz malo dolivanja vode. Na kraju dodati pirinač i mešati konstantno još minut dok je na ringli. Skloniti sa ringle, pa začiniti sa suvim začinom, peršunom i dobro posoliti jer fil treba da je preslan, tj. kada se proba kažete sebi ovo je presoljeno, tada je taman, zato što so ode u vodu i pirinač kada se kuva pa onda ispadne kako treba. U prohlađen fil dodati jaja. Ja fil pravim dan unapred.
Odseći drške sa listova, oprati ih u hladnoj vodi. U velikoj šerpi sa vodom koja je počela da struji sipati 2 kašike ulja i spustiti sve listove i 10 sekundi ih držati u njoj da malo omekšaju. Spustiti šerpu u sudoperu i brzo odliti koliko možete vrele .vode. Pustiti hladnu vodu iz česme da teče u šerpu i da je puni i preliva sve dok voda ne postane hladna. Držati lišće ih u hladnoj vodi dok ih polako punite, jer će se slepiti ako ih izvadite.
Na ravnoj površini staviti list tako da je glatka strana okrenuta ka stolu. Staviti veliku kašiku punu fila u donju trećinu lista u centar. Preklopiti desni kraj preko fila, urolati, zeti sarmicu u ruku i blago je držati bez stiskanja, pa drugi kraj ušuškati unutra. Sada blago stisnuti sarmicu i formirati je.
Blago nauljiti dno velike šerpe, pa staviti 2,3 lista na dno, a onda ređati sarmice. Ovo je dovoljno za 2 reda. Poklopiti tanjirom koji je skoro ispunjava šerpu, pa naliti vodu da pređe tanjir. Kuvati na ringli oko 90 minuta uz stalno dolivanje vodene. Neko ih jede ovakve, a ja ih zapečem, tj. skuvane i prohlađene poređam u jednom redu u pleh, dodam vode da bude do pola sarmice, pa zalijem umućenom pavlakom i jajetom sa malo mleka i pečem u rerni dok ne porumeni na nekim mestima. Servirati uz kiselo mleko ili pavlaku.
STUFFED VINE LEAVES (DOLMAS)
If you ask any Greek, some would tell you that dolmas were eaten at the top of Mount Olympus by the Greek Gods, and others might tell you that they originated in the time of the Alexander the Great when he conquered Thebes, so the inhabitants were left with little food and just stuffed cut up pieces of lamb in grape leaves. Later Byzantines refined the preparation with minced lamb , rice and spices and also started using other leaves (figs, hazelnuts...) Later they spread throughout the Middle East. If you ask a Turk they will tell you that hey are their authentic dish. The list goes on. Anyway, I am glad we here in Serbia have adopted them in our cuisine along with the other stuffed vegetables we use. In Serbia traditionally minced meat is used with rice, but still there are differences in the preparation depending on the region of the country. In the northern and western parts of the country they are eaten when cooked on the stove, and in the southern and eastern parts they are, after cooking, covered with egg and sour cream and baked in the oven to achieve the crispy surface. That's how I make them and that is the influence of my mothers cooking, no dish is done until it is baked in the oven. Traditionally we eat them with sour cream or yoghurt.
35-40 grape leaves
1kg minced meat
1 large onion finely cut
300g of rice
3 eggs
salt, pepper,parsley
1 egg
200g sour cream
2 tablespoons of milk
In a large pan fry the onion for few seconds , add minced meat and brown it, adding a bit of water. While it is still on the stove, add rice to the meat and stir for a minute. Take off the stove, let cool completely, add salt, parsley, eggs. The stuffing can be made a day in advance. No need to reheat it when stuffing. It should be very salty, enough salt that when you taste it you say to yourself that you have over salted it. Don't worry, the salt will be absorbed into the rice and it will go into the water it is cooked in. If you put just a right amount of salt, well if you don't over salt the meat they will be bland as the final product.
Bring around 5l of water to a simmer in a large pan and add couple of tablespoons of oil in the water. D
rop the leaves that you have previously taken the stems of, into the water just for couple of seconds. I
mmediately transfer the leaves in the ice cold water, just fill up the sink, to cool completely. L
eave them there while you are stuffing. P
lace the glossy side of the leaf on the kitchen counter surface with the stem (where it used to be) facing you.
I use a harder method of rolling. Fold over the right side and roll. Take in the hand very gently and stuff the remaining left side in; press with the whole hand. Repeat until you run out of the stuffing or just fold the right and the left side and roll.
Place a full tablespoon of the stuffing in the middle closer to the bottom.
L
ine a large pan lightly oiled with 2-3 preserved leaves and place them in like in the picture. I had enough for two rows. Cover with 2-3 leaves again and place a plate on top almost the size of the pan. F
ill with water to cover the plate for almost an inch. C
ook on a stove, but always refilling with water that has evaporated. Cook for around 90 minutes. Near the end don't refill with water. The water should come up to the last dolma when taken off the stove. L
et cool. They will absorb additional liquid left in the pan.
Y
ou can eat them like this, but I transfer mine when cooled into the shallow pan (one row). Add enough water to come up to the middle of the dolma and pour the glaze over them(sour cream, egg and milk). Bake until lightly golden. S
erve with sour cream or Greek yogurt.
