Spring Green Leaves Stuffed with Rice, Sun-dried Tomato and Fennel Seed
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Course
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 9
 
Spring Green Leaves Stuffed with Rice, Sun-dried Tomato and Fennel Seed
Ingredients
  • 75g white basmati (I like the basmati/wild rice mixes for this)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing the top of the rolls
  • 1 red onion, finely diced
  • 1 stick celery, finely diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 50g sun-dried tomatoes (in olive oil), finely chopped
  • 30g pine nuts, gently toasted in a dry frying pan until golden
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley + dill
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 9 large spring green leaves
  • Vegetable or chicken stock / splash white wine
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F
  2. Rinse the rice, place in a saucepan, and add just enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, then simmer until al dente, around 15 minutes (check packet just in case shorter is recommended), drain well.
  3. In a large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and over a medium-high hear, saute the chopped onion and celery, with a pinch of salt until softened, around 10 minutes. Add the garlic, fennel seeds, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and drained rice. Cook for a few more minutes, until any excess water clinging to the rice has evaporated. Add in the toasted pine nuts, chopped herbs, and lemon zest. Season to taste. (NB steps 2&3 can be done in advance, and the rice cooled and refrigerated until needed).
  4. Next prepare the spring greens. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and blanch the whole leaves for up to 5 minutes, or until they have completely softened for rolling. Remove using tongs and plunge into a large bowl of ice-cold water, or rinse under a cold tap until fully cooled. Pat dry using a clean tea towel.
  5. Working one at a time, place a leaf down on your chopping board, with the ridged underside of the leaf facing up. With the stalk end pointing towards you, use a sharp knife to slice out the central rib, then over-lap the leaf to cover the gap. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the mixture onto the leaf, about ⅓ of the way up from the bottom. Fold up over the rice, then fold in the sides and keep rolling till you've formed a parcel. Place into a deep-sided baking dish big enough to take all 9 leaves, with the flap/join facing down and safely secured underneath. Repeat with the remaining leaves, trying very hard to maintain consistency of size and shape!
  6. Pour in enough vegetable stock/juice of the lemon/splash wine to a depth of ⅓ way up the rolls. Brush or spray olive oil over the top of the leaves, and cover the tray with foil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, till steamy hot. The leaves may brown in places, which is fine! Serve while still warm.
Notes
To serve as per my serving suggestion:
Make a loose hummus, and warm gently on the stove
Stir-fry around 100g sliced shiitake mushrooms in olive oil with a finely chopped clove of garlic, until browned
Mix 1 tsp harissa paste with 1 tbsp olive oil till drizzleable.
Garnish with a sprig or 2 of dill.

To plate up start with a swish of hummus, top with the stuffed leaves, then the mushrooms, harissa oil and a sprig or 2 of dill.
Recipe by Ceri Jones Chef at https://cerijoneschef.com/spring-greens-stuffed-with-rice-sun-dried-tomato-and-fennel-seed/