Stuffed cabbage leaves (Mehshe Malfouf)

1. Mix the parsley, mint, onion and rice with the ground beef, salt and pepper.
2. Separate the cabbage leaves — keeping them whole and intact.
3. For the large leaves, remove the central rib. Each leaf should be roughly the size as a grape leaf, or slightly larger than the palm of your hand.
4. Blanch the leaves for 2 to 3 minutes in boiling water.
5. Lay about ten blanched leaves on your work surface, outer side down. Place a line of filling near the base of each leaf, and roll them up tightly into cigar-shaped rolls!
6. Peel the potato and slice it into rounds. Line the bottom of a pot with the potato slices, then arrange the stuffed cabbage leaves on top, arranged neatly and tightly on top.
7. Slice the garlic and scatter it when halfway up.
8. Add the remaining stuffed cabbage rolls.
9. Add the broth, dried mint and butter.
10. Place a plate on top of the leaves to keep them tightly packed during cooking.
11. Cook on low heat for at least 2 hours, until the leaves are tender.
12. Add the lemon juice during the last 5 minutes of cooking and bring to a gentle boil.
13. Invert the pot onto a serving dish and serve hot.

This recipe is from the book "Manger libanais", by Kamal Mouzawak, with photographs by Ayla Hibri and illustrations by Zeina Abirached. This work, published by Marabout (2017), is a road trip through Lebanon, its lands, but also its men, women and its cuisine. The true Lebanese cuisine.