Vine Leaves Stuffed with Sour Sweet Lamb

Soak cranberries in balsamic vinegar and brown sugar for at least an hour before you start.

In a frying-pan heat a good splash of olive oil. Add rice, onion and garlic to pan and cook until onion is transparent. Turn up heat a little and add minced lamb. Brown well.

Add berries/vinegar mix, and stir through. Mix in mint and half the lemon juice. Add half a cup of chicken stock, then reduce heat and simmer for around 15 minutes until liquid has been absorbed by rice. The rice will not be completely cooked as yet. Remove mixture from heat and allow to cool a little.

Take a vine leaf and put 1 teaspoon of mince and rice mixture at the bottom end. Fold sides towards centre and roll up to the top. Place on bottom of a large saucepan. Repeat with all the leaves. Make sure you pack the rolls snugly in the saucepan to prevent them from opening while cooking during the next stage. Sprinkle with remaining lemon juice and measure of olive oil.

Cover vine leaf rolls with remaining stock and place a heatproof plate on top of the leaves. This will stop them swelling too much. Simmer on a gentle heat for around 20 minutes. Remove from stock and drain well.

Serve with a simple yoghurt dip made with natural yoghurt, lemon zest and chopped fresh mint if wished.

_{An extract from Minced with photography by Alan Gillard. Published by Penguin Group NZ. Copyright © Sue Hamilton and Dana Alexander, 2010. RRP $35.00. Available at all good booksellers nationwide.}