Koupepia

Ingredients

Leaves

• about 60 vine leaves
• fresh or in brine
• water, for blanching

Filling

• 500 gminced pork
• or half pork and half beef
• 200 gshort grain rice
• 2onions, finely chopped
• 4tomatoes, grated
• 3 tablespoonstomato purée
• a large handful of parsley
• a handful of fresh mint
• 1 teaspoonground cinnamon
• 5 tablespoonsolive oil
• salt and black pepper

The pot

• juice of 3 lemons
• about 500 ml water or stock
• 3 tablespoonsolive oil
• a few spare vine leaves
• a plate, to weight them

To serve

• yoghurt
• lemon wedges
• warm rather than cold

Directions

1. Pick young tender leaves in late spring. The leaf should be about a hand’s width. Soak them and change the water twice. The rolls must be left loose to allow that. Roll them snug but never fully tight. Take the leaves out of the jar. Rinse them under cold running water. Soak them in fresh water for an hour. Drain them and pat them all dry. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
2. Drop the leaves in a few at a time. Give them about thirty seconds. Lift them out into cold water. Drain them and lay them out flat. Cut it off flush with the leaf. Put the minced pork in a large bowl. Add the raw uncooked rice to it. Add the finely chopped onions. Grate the tomatoes into the bowl. Cut it in half and grate the cut face.
3. Add the tomato purée to the bowl. Chop the parsley and mint finely. Add them along with the cinnamon. Pour the olive oil over all of it. Season it well with salt and pepper. Mixing it all together takes a moment. Mix it thoroughly with your hands. It should be evenly combined throughout.
4. Taste is hard to check with raw pork. Fry a teaspoonful in a pan to taste it. Adjust the salt and pepper accordingly. Lay a leaf shiny side down on a board. The veined side should face upwards.
5. Put a small amount of filling near the stem end. Use about a teaspoonful for a medium leaf. Folding it up takes only a moment. Fold the stem end up over the filling. Fold both sides in towards the middle. Roll it snug but leave a little slack. The rice needs room in which to swell.
6. Lay spare or torn leaves on the base. Add a few slices of potato if you like. Set the rolls in the pot seam side down. Pack them tightly against each other. Work in circles from the outside in. Fill any gaps with spare leaves. Set an upturned plate on top of them. It should fit down inside the pot.
7. Pour the lemon juice over the plate. Add the olive oil into the pot too. Add water or stock to just cover. Do not drown them entirely in it. Bring it up to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook. Give it about fifty minutes to cook. Keep it barely moving throughout. Judging when they are done takes a check.
8. Lift one out and cut it right open. The rice should be completely tender. Take the pot right off the heat. Leave the plate sitting on top of them. Let them stand for twenty minutes. It also lets them firm up to lift.
9. Lift them out carefully with tongs. Set them out on a warm serving platter. Spoon a little cooking liquid over them. Serve plain yoghurt alongside them. They keep four days refrigerated.

Technique

• Cypriot koupepia are made with minced pork, where Greek dolmades usually use lamb or beef and Turkish versions use lamb or are meatless; pork is what distinguishes the Cypriot version, and Cyprus has a long pork eating tradition running through souvla, afelia and loukanika.
• The rice goes in raw and cooks inside the roll, roughly tripling in volume, which is why the rolls must be snug but never tight; too tight and they burst, too loose and they fall apart, and that judgement is the main skill.
• Meat-filled vine leaves are served warm, while meatless ones packed in oil are served cold; those are two different dishes and should not be confused.

Substitutions

• Half pork and half beef is used in many households.
• Brined leaves stand in for fresh out of season, rinsed and soaked to remove the salt.

Variations

• Some cooks line the pot with potato slices and serve them alongside.
• Courgettes and peppers are stuffed with the same filling and cooked together.
• The amount of mint varies considerably between families.

History

The Cypriot name for stuffed vine leaves, rolled with rice, minced pork and tomato and simmered in lemon.

Frequently asked questions

What is Koupepia?

Koupepia is a snack from Cyprus: vine leaves stuffed with minced pork and rice. The Cypriot name for stuffed vine leaves, rolled with rice, minced pork and tomato and simmered in lemon.

How long does Koupepia take to make?

Koupepia takes 1 hour 30 minutes of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe makes about 50 rolls. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Koupepia?

Yes, within limits. Half pork and half beef is used in many households. Brined leaves stand in for fresh out of season, rinsed and soaked to remove the salt.

What is the most important thing to get right in Koupepia?

Pick young tender leaves in late spring. The leaf should be about a hand’s width. Soak them and change the water twice. The rolls must be left loose to allow that. Roll them snug but never fully tight. Take the leaves out of the jar. Rinse them under cold running water. Soak them in fresh water for an hour. Drain them and pat them all dry. Bring a pot of water to a boil.