Einat Admony's Grape Leaf Cake

With this recipe you have dinner and a show—flipping this grape leaf cake onto a platter always dazzles my dinner party guests. Once they taste it, they are even more impressed. The beef stays juicy, while the toasted nuts soften slightly, while remaining crispy enough for some texture variation.

Ingredients

• 5 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 jar Grape leaves, in brine
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup (185 g) jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
• 1 pound (455 g) ground beef
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, fried or toasted
• ¼ cup sliced blanched almonds, fried or toasted
• ¼ cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup raisins, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon crushed Aleppo pepper or hot paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 cups (720 ml) homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock or water
• Tahini, for serving

Directions

1. Prepare the grape leaves for stuffing: Remove grape leaves from brine. Soak in cold water for 5 minutes. Pat dry.
2. For the filling: Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in an All-Clad NS Pro 10" Nonstick Fry Pan over medium heat.
3. Add the onions and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes, until soft and golden brown.
4. Stir in the rice and sauté in the pan with the onions for 2 minutes longer.
5. Add the beef, crumbling it with a fork, and cook, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
6. Add the pine nuts, pistachios, almonds, raisins, Aleppo pepper, cumin, cinnamon, the remaining 3 teaspoons kosher salt, and several twists of black pepper to the pan, and mix until combined and set aside.
7. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
8. To assemble the cake: Slick the bottom and the walls of the same 10" Nonstick Fry Pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
9. Line the bottom of the pan with a few nice leaves, then arrange the grape leaves inside the pan in an overlapping configuration, layering them over the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
10. Place the beef mixture in the center of the grape leaves and smooth into an even layer. Fold the ends of the grapes leaves over the beef mixture, then layer the remaining leaves on top to make a tidy cake.
11. Slowly pour in the chicken stock or water, taking care not to disturb the leaves.
12. Find a smaller pot lid or a plate that will fit inside the pan (anything flat and heatproof will do) and place it on top of the grape leaf cake. This will weigh down the cake as it cooks and keep it flat.
13. Cover the pan, transfer to the oven, and bake for 1 hour. To check for doneness, open the leaves a little and check the rice: when the rice is tender, everything is cooked.
14. Take the pan out of the oven, remove the lid or the plate and heat uncovered on the stove top on medium heat for about 10 minutes. This will get a little color on the bottom of the cake (which will eventually be the top) and evaporate any excess liquid around the sides.
15. Remove the pan from heat and let stand about 10 minutes to settle the layers.
16. Place a large flat serving plate (or a cake stand) on top of the pan. Holding the pan and the plate tightly together, flip with one smooth decisive swing (watch out for any hot juices).
17. Lift the pan carefully and serve hot. Cut the cake into wedges and serve with tahini.

Pro Tip

If you don't like grape leaves, use cabbage or swiss chard leaves instead! Just be sure to boil the separated leaves for 4 to 5 minutes before using to soften.

RECIPE BY

Einat Admony

Admony is a pillar of the international Israeli cooking community. Her food tells an intricate story of strong immigrant roots and living the American Dream. Having grown up in Tel Aviv, she served as a cook in the Israeli Army before traveling Europe to work in kitchens, and eventually landing in New York City as an ambitious young chef. After 15+ years leading the New York culinary scene and establishing multiple restaurants, Admony continues to innovate and inspire with elevated yet comforting homestyle cooking from her childhood. Admony is a double-time champion and competitor of Food Network’s Chopped and Throwdown! with Bobby Flay. She has been featured by The New York Times, Bon Appetit, HuffPost, Forbes, among many others. Admony has authored two cookbooks with Artisan Books: Balaboosta (2013) and Shuk (2019). In 2014, she was a recipient of the Great Immigrants Award from Carnegie Corporation of New York for exemplary contributions to American life. Outside of leading several expanding food businesses, Admony can be found at home in Brooklyn or at her country house in the Hudson Valley, cooking for her two children, Liam and Mika, her husband and business partner, Stefan Nafziger, and a steady stream of dinner party guests.

To learn more about this chef, please visit their website at chefeinat.com

Connect with them on social Instagram: @chefeinat and Facebook: Chef Einat