Cheese parcels:
20 fresh grape leaves (or substitute leaves stored in a brine)
1 Tbs raisins
Olive oil, for brushing
150 g akkawi or nabulsi cheese (or substitute another fresh brined cheese, such as halloumi, fresh Syrian cheese, or queso blanco)
2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 Tbs dried and crumbled zaatar leaves (or substitute oregano)
Dressing:
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 pinch of salt
Leaves of 5 sprigs of fresh mint or fresh za'atar, or other green herb of choice
2 drops of water (optional)
To make the parcels, if you’re using fresh grape leaves, blanch the whole leaves in a large pot of lightly salted water until they turn a deep green and are soft to the touch, 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the leaves. Drain well.
Put the raisins in a bowl filled with enough warm water to cover them, because we need to hydrate them slightly.
Brush 10 little ramekins, 5 cm to 7 cm in diameter, with a bit of olive oil. Place two grape leaves in each one, with the top side downwards so that when we flip the ramekin, we’ll end up with the outside of the leaves facing up.
Cut the cheese into ten equal portions. Drain the raisins.
Put one piece of cheese, a slice of tomato, a few raisins and a bit of za'atar leaves on the grape leaves. Fold the leaves to enclose the filling in the ramekins.
Preheat the oven to 160 C. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan and fill the pan with water to the height of the grape leaves in the ramekins. Cover the top of the ramekins with a baking sheet; we don’t want the grape leaves to dry out.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let cool.
