Homemade Stuffed Grape Leaves with homemade chicken stock

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade chicken stock ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Put the chicken, the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns and the water in a pot and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam that rises during the first 15 minutes with a spoon.

   StovePot
2. 2
   Turn down and simmer gently 2.5–3 hours.

   Stove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
3. 3
   Strain the stock.

   Colander

For the Meatball mix

1. 4
   Soak the rice 30 minutes in cold water and drain well.

   Bowl
2. 5
   Grate the onion.

   Grater
3. 6
   Mix the ground meat with the onion, parsley, mint, cumin, baharat, cinnamon, rice, olive oil, salt and black pepper until evenly combined.

To assemble

1. 7
   Place a little of the mixture in the center of each leaf, fold in both sides and roll up.
2. 8
   Line the bottom of the wide pot with a few grape leaves.

   Wide, shallow pot
3. 9
   Arrange the rolls tightly in a wide pot, seam side down.

   Wide, shallow pot
4. 10
   Mix the stock and lemon juice and pour over the rolls.
5. 11
   Set an inverted plate on the rolls so they don't come apart while cooking.

   💡The plate keeps the rolls packed and whole while cooking, so they don't float or open.
6. 12
   Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer 45–60 minutes, until the rice and meat are done.

   StoveLid
7. 13
   Serve hot with plain yogurt.