Yebret Siliq, Stuffed Chard Leaves **RECIPE**
If you follow my Facebook account, you may know that I’ve often mentioned that Syrians love to stuff their vegetables. We have enjoyed stuffed peppers, eggplant, squash, tomatoes, onions, even carrots as the foil for our delicious ground meat and rice mixture, fragrant with our Syrian spices. In Aleppo, chard has been one of their favorite greens. And, of course, they stuff them!
The leaves of these greens, Swiss chard or red chard, as it’s known here, are very conducive to filling, as we do with vine leaves. And they are very tender and healthful.
So many of the younger Arab descendants, who may not have a grape vine convenient to them like their grandparents once had, have often asked me where they could get fresh vine leaves. Well, wish no more! Use these wonderful greens in place of vine leaves in the fall and winter, when the fresh vine leaves may not be available. They may also be used as a replacement for those purchased jars of vine leaves, which leave many of us missing that fresh taste!
I have used both varieties but prefer the Swiss Chard for its resemblance to vine leaves after cooking. They are so close in taste to the vine leaves that you may find them to be a new family favorite!
Yebret Siliq
Stuffed Swiss Chard Rolls
2-3 Bunches of Swiss Chard Leaves
1 Cup Rice, Raw, long grain
1 Tablespoon ground Allspice, or to taste
1 Tablespoon of tomato paste
1 Teaspoon salt, or to taste
3/4 LB. Ground Lamb or Beef
1 1/2 Cup Water (divided use)
1 Cup Lemon Juice, fresh or reconstituted, or to taste
1/2 Head Garlic with cloves peeled and left whole
1 5 Qt. Pot with Lid
Soak the rice in water to cover for 30 minutes. After rinsing the rice once or twice and draining the water, place it in a large bowl. Add the allspice and salt, mixing until the rice turns brown from the allspice. Then add the tomato paste, ground meat and ½ cup of the water to blend the mixture and set aside.
Dip the leaves on the stalks in boiling water and remove immediately to drain. Remove the stalks from the Swiss Chard by cutting down the middle. Discard the stalks. Cut each long section of the leaves in half, or if the leaf is not too large, keep it as is.
On a cutting board, lay out a leaf, with the vein side facing you. Place a finger-sized length of the meat filling across the leaf. Then tuck in the left and right sides and continue to roll down the length of the leaf to finish into a cigar shape. Place on a plate as you work, keeping the larger rolls to one side of the plate. If any leaves rip or are unworkable for filling, keep them to use on the bottom of the pot, before filling with the rolls. Place the rolls, spiral fashion, with whole cloves of garlic placed over each row, reserving about 4 cloves for the liquid spices below.
Prepare the spices: 4 Garlic Cloves
½ Teaspoon Salt, or to taste
½ Teaspoon dried mint flakes, or to taste
Combine all in a mortar and pestle or a blender to form a paste.
Mix the remaining 1 cup of water with the lemon juice and pour all over the rolled and stuffed leaves. Add the spice paste all around the perimeter of the pot. Then place a dish to the top of the mound of rolls, before turning on the heat. Bring to a boil and immediately lower to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 40 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Makes about 25 rolls, depending on the size of the leaves and rolls.
Cook’s Notes: At a mid-point, taste the liquid in the pot and adjust the lemon, water and spices if needed. If you find that the liquid is being absorbed, add more water and lemon in equal ratios to the pot.
To test for doneness: Take one roll from the top center and try it. The rice should be firm but cooked. If so, remove from the heat and keep covered for 5 minutes. Then pour out the liquid into a gravy boat and remove the rolls by hand or with tongs to serve with the pan juices.