The stuffed vine leaves of Marie-Antoinette, Patrick Fiori's mother

Ingredients (for 8 people):

• 2 kg of onions

• 1 bunch of parsley


• 1 bunch of coriander


• Pinch of cumin


• 2-3 handfuls of pine nuts 


• 1 teaspoon of chilli 

• 1 kg of minced lamb meat

• 1 kg of ground beef


• A hundred fig leaf 

For the sauce: 

• 5 tomatoes 

• 2 onions  

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 2 chicken broths 

• A few sprigs of coriander 

The steps of the recipe: 

1.

 Prepare the tomato sauce.

Cut the tomatoes into cubes, slice the onions and garlic and pour into a saucepan over medium heat.

Add the coriander and the 2 bouillon cubes.

Heat to the first boil and set aside. 

2.

 Prepare the grape leaves.

Slice the onions and the garlic cloves.

Thin and chop all the herbs.

In a large salad bowl, mix everything together with the minced meats, bulgur, cumin, chilli and pine nuts to obtain a homogeneous filling.  

3.

 Take a fig leaf.

Place the leaf in front of you, on the side of the veins (the tip of the leaf should be up).

Place a teaspoon of stuffing at the bottom of the sheet, bring the 2 sides of the sheet to the center, roll up to the tip (the tip allows the sheet to close properly).

Repeat the operation with the other leaves. 

4.

 Place your stuffing in a saucepan with the sauce, place a weight on it (colander) so as to keep the vine leaves in the bottom and the sauce.

Leave to cook for 1 hour 30 minutes on low heat.

When the leaf is flexible, the vine leaves are cooked.

Serve them with the sauce.