Stuffed vine leaves with egg and lemon sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 jar grape leaves, drained weight 230 g
• 500 g minced meat
• 1 onion(s)
• 2 tbsp dill, freshly chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley, freshly chopped
• 6 mint leaves, freshly chopped
• salt and pepper
• 150 g rice, uncooked
• 2 eggs
• 75 ml olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 ½ lemon(s), juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes

Drain the vine leaves (drained weight 230 g), rinse the leaves well and let them drain, pat them dry, and trim any stalks. For the filling, peel and finely chop the onion. Mix the diced onion with the minced meat, dill, parsley, mint, uncooked rice, salt, and pepper. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold them into the filling in 4 batches. Place the vine leaves shiny-side down on the work surface and add 1 tablespoon of the filling to each. Fold in the edges and roll the leaves up, taking care not to overtighten them towards the tip, as the rice will expand during cooking. Line a large pot with unstuffed vine leaves and layer the stuffed vine leaves inside. Season the last layer with salt and pepper. Pour olive oil over the rolls and add enough water to just cover the vine leaves. Finally, cover with a layer of vine leaves. Place a small lid or plate over the vine leaves to prevent them from curling up during cooking. Cover and cook over low heat for 50-60 minutes. Drain and reserve the cooking liquid. For the sauce, heat the butter in a saucepan and let the flour brown for 2-3 minutes. If necessary, add water to the cooking liquid to make up to 500 ml. Slowly add to the roux while stirring, bring to a boil, and remove from the heat. Now remove 1/2 cup of the sauce. Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl until frothy. Gradually stir in the lemon juice, followed by the 1/2 cup of the measured sauce. Stir this mixture into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve the sauce with the stuffed vine leaves. Tip: You can also use fresh vine leaves, but these should come from a vineyard that has not been sprayed. So check with the winemaker! Trim the stems from 350 g of fresh grape leaves and blanch the leaves in boiling salted water for 5 minutes, strain, and drain well. The stuffed grape leaves also taste delicious cold, then serve with tzatziki.