My Own Famous Stuffed Grape Leaves

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
• 1 large onion , chopped
• 0.5 cups chopped fresh dill
• 0.5 cups chopped fresh mint leaves
• 2 quartss chicken broth , divided
• 0.75 cups fresh lemon juice , divided
• 60 freshs grape leaves
• 1 cup olive oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice, onion, dill, and mint; sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Pour in 1/2 of the broth, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until rice is almost cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in 1/2 of the lemon juice and remove from the heat.

2. 2

   Plunge grape leaves into a deep container of very hot water until soft, about 10 seconds; pat dry.

3. 3

   Place a grape leaf onto a work surface with the shiny side facing down. Place 1 teaspoon rice mixture on leaf at the stem end; fold both sides in toward the center and roll up from the wide bottom to the top. Place stuffed leaf into a 4-quart pot. Repeat to stuff remaining leaves, packing them into the pot tightly so they don't open while cooking.

4. 4

   Drizzle olive oil and remaining lemon juice over leaves, then pour in remaining broth to cover. Cover the pot and simmer for about 1 hour; do not let it boil as the stuffing may burst out of the leaves.

5. 5

   Remove from the heat, uncover, and let cool for 30 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.