Dolmades and other vine leaf recipes from Karen Martini

Quail saltimbocca with vine leaves, figs and olives

This is a great way to cook quail. The vine leaf and prosciutto truss the boned bird back into shape and help protect the delicate breast meat in the hot pan. The buttery, rich pan juices have a nice kick of acidity from the reduced verjuice and vinegar, and are perfect with the smoky, sweet figs, salty olives and succulent quail meat.

6 jumbo quails, boned and butterflied, drumstick and wing tip left in

extra-virgin olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

6 large vine leaves, rinsed

6 slices prosciutto

dash sherry vinegar

150ml verjuice

1 handful good-quality olives (manzanilla would work well)

4 large figs, sliced thickly

50g butter

1. Rub each quail with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay the quails skin side up on a board, top each with a vine leaf, wrap with a slice of prosciutto and secure with a toothpick or small skewer.

2. Heat a large saute or frying pan over high heat, add about 60 millilitres of olive oil and cook the quails, breast side down, for five minutes or until lightly browned. Turn the quails, add a dash of sherry vinegar, the verjuice and olives. Cook for a further four minutes. Add the fig slices and cook for a further two minutes, or until the quail is cooked to your liking and the liquid is reduced.

3. Transfer the quails, figs and olives to a serving platter, leaving the juices in the pan.

4. Remove the toothpicks from the quail and allow meat to rest for a few minutes.

5. Melt the butter in the pan, stirring through to pick up any caramelised bits with a spoon. Pour over the quail and serve.

Serves 3-6

Drink A fleshy pinot noir

Haloumi wrapped in vine leaves with pistachios, zaatar and pomegranate molasses

The sweet caramel tang of the pomegranate molasses is a delicious foil for the briny cheese and lightly crunchy vine leaves. This is great finger food, as a little appetiser or among a spread of dishes: haloumi, dolmades, olives, pickled vegetables, tzatziki … you get the picture.

8 vine leaves, thoroughly rinsed

2 packets (about 250g each) haloumi cheese

extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbsp pomegranate molasses

1 lemon

1 tbsp (heaped) zaatar

1 tbsp (heaped) roughly chopped pistachio kernels

1. Dry any excess moisture from the vine leaves with paper towel and cut in half along the stem.

2. Slice each block of haloumi into eight fingers. Roll each piece of haloumi tightly in a vine leaf.

3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add a good splash of oil and cook the haloumi on each side until golden - about one minute each side.

4. Transfer to a plate, drizzle with the pomegranate molasses, squeeze over the lemon and scatter with zaatar and pistachios.

Serves 8

Drink A fresh white wine such as vermentino or, if you can find it, txakoli, the zippy Spanish white, would work well.

Stuffed vine leaves with rice, pinenuts, currants and lemon

I have a real soft spot for dolmades. I just love the texture of the vine leaves with the lemon-flavoured rice, pinenuts, sweet currants and gentle touches of spice. You get pretty good at wrapping these with a little experience, but it's certainly one of those jobs where it doesn't hurt to enlist any nearby idle hands.

200ml extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 tbsp currants

4 tbsp pinenuts

salt flakes

450g long-grain rice

5 anchovies, chopped

4 lemons

1 litre quality chicken stock

4 tsp dried mint

50-60 vine leaves, thoroughly rinsed

1 litre hot water

1 tbsp fennel seeds

10 whole allspice berries

1 fresh bay leaf

plain yoghurt, to serve

1. Place a medium pot over a high heat, add 80 millilitres of olive oil, the onion, garlic, currants, pinenuts and a pinch of salt. Cook for about three minutes, stirring constantly. Add the rice, anchovies and 1½ teaspoons of salt flakes. Cook while stirring constantly for another minute. Add the juice of two lemons, the chicken stock and dried mint. Bring to the boil and cook for about five minutes or until the rice has absorbed the liquid - be sure to stir frequently to stop the rice sticking to the pan. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced or 200C conventional.

3. Drizzle a little oil into an ovenproof pot (such as a French oven). Lay a vine leaf flat on a clean bench and pile on a heaped tablespoon of rice mix near the stem, roll the stem end over, fold the edges in and roll up like a spring roll - firmly, but not too tight, as the rice will expand - and repeat until the mix runs out. As each vine leaf is rolled, place it in the pot, forming two tightly packed layers - this depends on the size of your pot but ideally you want complete layers.

4. Mix the juice of two lemons, hot water, fennel seeds, allspice, bay leaf, a pinch of salt and the remaining olive oil together and pour into the pot over the dolmathes. Place a circle of baking paper over the vine leaves, and weigh down with a plate large enough to just fit inside the pot. Cover tightly and bake for one hour. Leave to cool at room temperature in the pot before refrigerating - this helps the rice to soak up most of the liquid. Serve at room temperature with plain yoghurt.

Makes 50 to 60

Drink Greek white wine, such as assyrtiko.