Dolmades

How to make it

1. 1Soak the rice in cold water for 15 minutes and drain.
2. 2Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide pan and sweat the chopped onion for 8 minutes until translucent, no colour.
3. 3Add the spring onions, all the herbs, the drained rice, half the lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt; stir for a minute to bloom the aromas, then tip onto a plate to cool to room temperature.
4. 4Lay a grape leaf on the work surface vein-side up, stem at the bottom.
5. 5Place a heaped teaspoon of the rice mixture near the stem, fold the bottom edge up and over, fold both sides in, and roll up tightly into a small cigar.
6. 6Don't overfill — the rice swells as it cooks and packed too tightly the dolma will split.
7. 7Line the bottom of a heavy pot with torn or broken leaves to prevent sticking.
8. 8Pack the rolled dolmades in concentric circles, seam-side down, snug enough to hold each other in place.
9. 9Pour over the remaining olive oil and lemon juice, add cold water just to the top of the dolmades, and press a heatproof plate directly on the surface to keep them submerged.
10. 10Bring slowly to a simmer, cover, and cook on the lowest heat for 50 minutes to an hour, until the rice is tender and the liquid mostly absorbed.
11. 11Leave to cool in the pot — they're served cold or at room temperature, with a wedge of lemon and a bowl of thick yoghurt.
12. 12Made the day before, they taste markedly better.