How to Cook with Grape Leaves

It’s harvest time for vineyards across the country. Celebrate the promise of great wines by using the vine’s lesser-loved by-product: grape leaves, which are deliciously tangy and tender when brined. From classic dolmas to roasted fish, here are nine ways to cook with grape leaves.

1. Goat-Cheese-Stuffed Grape Leaves

Inspired by Turkey’s stuffed grape leaves, chef Mehmet Gürs ingeniously wraps goat cheese in the briny leaves then quickly grills the little packages so the cheese melts.

2. Stuffed Grape Leaves

For his supertasty vegetarian stuffed grape leaves, chef Scott Conant makes a simple rice filling with onion, tomato paste, parsley and a bit of dried mint.

3. Bluefish with Grape Leaves

To keep fillets intact, chef Anita Lo wraps them in briny grape leaves before grilling them.

4. Stuffed Grape Leaves with Pork and Fregola

These terrific hors d’oeuvres are stuffed with ground pork and fregola, a small, round Sardinian couscous.

5. Grape Leaf–Wrapped Salmon with Serrano-Scallion Sauce

F&W’s Justin Chapple wraps salmon fillets and halved grape tomatoes in jarred grape leaves before roasting them.

6. Grilled Beef Rolls with Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce

For these Vietnamese-style grilled-beef rolls, Andrew Zimmern wraps flavorful ground sirloin in grape leaves and serves them with a sweet, spicy, tangy dipping sauce.

7. Spinach-and–Grape Leaf Pie

Chef Alex Raij made this big, impressive pie, which she calls pastel de parra, to snack on throughout the weekend; a big slice is also satisfying as a meal.

8. Grape Leaves Stuffed with Pine Nuts and Spiced Rice

In Egypt, cooks stuff this spiced rice mixture into all kinds of vegetables, like zucchini.

9. Lamb Chops with Grape Leaf Salsa Verde

Chef Jimmy Bannos Jr. pays homage to his Greek heritage with this lamb dish. He combines brined grape leaves with capers and herbs to create a tangy condiment for the lamb.

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