Dolma

1. Soak the grape leaves in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes to remove excess brine, then drain them and snip off any tough stems.
2. Soften the finely chopped onion in half the olive oil over medium heat for 8 minutes, then stir in the pine nuts and toast for 2 minutes until golden.
3. Add the rinsed rice, currants, cinnamon, allspice and a splash of water and cook for 3 minutes, then fold through the chopped dill, mint, the juice of one lemon and salt and let the filling cool.
4. Lay each leaf vein-side up, place a small spoon of filling near the stem end, fold in the sides and roll tightly but not too snugly, since the rice swells as it cooks.
5. Line the base of a pot with a few spare leaves, pack the rolls seam-side down in close layers, then drizzle with the remaining olive oil and weigh them down with an inverted plate.
6. Pour in enough water with the juice of the second lemon to barely cover, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook gently for 45 minutes until the rice is tender, and let them cool in the pot before serving at room temperature.

You'll use: Large pot · Saucepan