Dolmathes with Avgolemono Sauce

Okay, for those of you that have never been in a Greek family….they all think they have the best recipe, their mothers is the very best or even their Yia ~ Yia’s is the best. Well, see I have no Greek mother or no Greek Yia ~ yia so, I taste with an open mind and feel I am a better judge. I simply taste the food it self. This is my favorite recipe for dolmathes ~ A little game for my family and friends to guess WHO’S recipe this is?? Come on make it fun!! Clue ~ the recipe was only for the dolmathes, I added the avgolemono sauce…just me adding my touch to it!

Dolmathakia ~ Dolmathes
Stuffed Grape Leaves With Avgolemono Sauce

1 pound jar of grape leave
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup uncooked rice
juice of 1 lemon
1 large onion ~ minced fine or grated
1/2 bunch of chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped dried dill
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 can quart of tomatoes
1 stick butter melted
salt, pepper and garlic to taste
2 cups chicken stock ~ some use just water

Take grape leaves and put in a pot of water and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water, separate leaves to keep from sticking together. To make filling, mix beef, rice, onion, parsley, dill, mint, tomatoes, 1/2 of butter, salt, pepper and garlic. Mix well then fill leaves. To fill leaves in a saucer shiny side on bottom, add one tablespoon of filling in center and roll leaf butcher style. Stack in at least a 4 quart pot layering dolmathes as you go. When finished, squeeze lemon juice over and dot with the remaining 1/2 stick of butter. Cover with an inverted plate to fit the bottom of the pot. Then add chicken stock to pot and add water to cover the leaves adding water if needed. Cook on low for about 45 minutes or until rice is completely cooked.

Avgolemono Sauce

1 cup good chicken stock
3 egg yolks
juice of one fresh lemon

1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper

Put the egg yolks and lemon juice and run in the blender until light and fluffy ~ foamy add a little of the stock and run another 30 seconds. Then add all chicken stock, yolks and lemon to a small sauce pot and put on a low heat, stirring continually or the eggs will curdle. I cook this on a low heat until it reaches around 160. Then once it is there I remove from the heat add the butter continue to stir until butter is melted add salt and pepper. Once sauce is ready, I serve dolmathes and pour sauce over.

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