Feast

MEHSHI SILQ BIL-ZEYT

LEBANON | SYRIA

Traditionally this vegetarian stuffing includes chickpeas, which are soaked overnight, then skinned and split. I don’t like their crunchy bite, finding it an unpleasant contrast to the melting rice and velvety leaves, and I make mine without. I even made my mother stop using them! In South Lebanon, they leave out the lemon juice and olive oil and increase the amount of sumac to 3 tablespoons. You can replace the Swiss chard with grape leaves, in which case the dish will be known in both Syria and Turkey as yalanci (“fake” in Turkish): Use 7 ounces (200 g) preserved or fresh grape leaves for the amount of stuffing below. The stuffed grape leaves are more commonly prepared and they are an indispensable addition to any mezze spread. They are time-consuming to make but well worth the effort. Practiced chefs can roll a whole potful of grape leaves in no time, using a particular way of bunching up the leaf around the filling and rolling it in seconds. I have yet to acquire this knack and because they take so long to make, I usually make mine a day ahead. In fact, they taste better the day after. You can use the same stuffing to stuff eggplants, zucchini, peppers, or tomatoes.

SERVES 4

FOR THE STUFFING

¾ cup (150 g) short-grain rice

3 firm-ripe medium tomatoes (10½ ounces/300 g total), cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice

1 bunch scallions (2 ounces/50 g), thinly sliced

½ bunch flat-leaf parsley (3½ ounces/100 g), most of the bottom stems discarded, coarsely chopped

¼ bunch mint (2 ounces/50 g), leaves stripped off the stems, coarsely chopped

2 heaping tablespoons ground sumac

½ teaspoon ground allspice or Lebanese 7-Spice Mixture

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Juice of 1 large lemon, or to taste

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt

TO FINISH

2 bunches Swiss chard (2¼ pounds/1 kg total)

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

Sea salt

1. To make the stuffing: Rinse the rice under cold water. Drain well and put in a large mixing bowl. Add the tomatoes, scallions, parsley, and mint. Add the sumac, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season with salt to taste. Mix well. The stuffing should look more or less like a rice tabbouleh. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

2. To prepare the Swiss chard: Cut off the stems of the chard and set aside. Then cut across the top third of a leaf, taking where the central rib becomes thin and pliable as the dividing line. Then from the remaining piece of leaf, slice out and remove the thick rib, to create two more pieces of chard leaf. The pieces should make rolls measuring from 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 cm) long. Some leaves may be too small to cut in three, in which case simply cut them in half, again taking where the rib becomes thin as the dividing line. Shave off the back of the thick rib of the bottom parts without breaking the leaf and reserve the stems and ribs to line the bottom of the pot. Arrange the cut leaves, smooth side down, in neat layers inside a colander. Then run boiling water over them to soften them. Let drain.

3. Line the bottom of a large pot—big enough to hold the stuffed leaves—with the stems and ribs from the chard leaves and the tomato slices.

4. To stuff the Swiss chard leaves: Remove any damaged leaves and lay them over the stems and tomato slices in the pan. Then, take one leaf and lay it, smooth side down, on your work surface with the cut side nearest to you and the veins running away from you. Spread 1 teaspoon stuffing (or more depending on the size of the leaf) in a long, thin, slightly raised line, along the side nearest to you, about ½ inch (1 cm) in from the edge and the same distance from the sides. Fold the narrow strip over the stuffing and roll into a flat, loosely packed roll to leave enough space for the rice to expand during cooking. Flatten the edges and carefully lift the rolled leaf and lay over the tomatoes with the loose side down. Continue stuffing, rolling, and arranging the stuffed leaves side by side, forming one layer at a time, until you have used up both leaves and stuffing. If you have leftover leaves, use them to cover the rolled ones. If you have any stuffing left over, make it into a side dish: Put it in a small pan with twice the amount of water and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender.

5. Pour enough water into the pot to barely cover the stuffed leaves and add a little salt, bearing in mind that the stuffing is already seasoned. Place an overturned heatproof plate over the leaves to stop them from unrolling during cooking. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover, reduce the heat to medium, and let bubble gently for 45 minutes, or until the stuffed leaves are done. Two-thirds of the way through cooking, taste the broth to check the salt content, adding more if necessary. It is a good idea to taste one stuffed leaf before taking the pot off the heat to make sure it is done. Remove from the heat and let cool.

6. Gently transfer the leaves to a serving platter—I usually pick them up with my fingers to keep them intact. Serve at room temperature.