Warak enab

Step 1: Soak 50 vine leaves in brine in a big bowl of warm water for 10 minutes, then rinse and drain. Snip off any stalks and set aside torn leaves for lining the pan.

Step 2: Rinse 7 oz short-grain rice in cold water until it runs nearly clear, then soak it for 10 minutes and drain well.

Step 3: In a bowl mix the rice with 3 ripe tomatoes and their juice, 2 ⅛ oz flat-leaf parsley, ½ oz fresh mint, 4 spring onions, 1 tsp dried mint, 1 tsp Lebanese seven-spice, 1 tsp salt, 3 ½ tbsp olive oil and ¼ cup lemon juice. It should look wet and red-flecked; the uncooked rice drinks up that liquid as it cooks.

Step 4: Lay a leaf shiny side down, stem end towards you. Put a heaped teaspoon of filling in a short line near the stem, fold the bottom over it, fold in the sides and roll up into a finger about 7 cm long. Keep it snug but not stretched, because the rice will swell.

Step 5: Line the base of a wide heavy pan with the torn leaves, then a layer of 1 potato and 1 tomato. Pack the rolls on top, seam side down, in tight rows, tucking 6 garlic cloves in between. Make a second layer crossways if needed.

Step 6: Pour over the rest of 3 ½ tbsp olive oil and ¼ cup lemon juice, sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and add 1 ¾ cups hot water until the rolls are just covered. Press a heatproof plate on top to keep them from unrolling.

Step 7: Bring to a gentle boil over a medium heat, then cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for 60–70 minutes, until a roll you test is soft right through and almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Top up with a little hot water if the pan looks dry before then.

Step 8: Turn off the heat and leave the pan covered until it cools to room temperature, at least 1 hour; the rolls firm up and soak up the lemony oil.

Step 9: Turn out or lift the rolls onto a platter with the potato and garlic. Serve at room temperature or cold, with 4 lemon wedges. They keep 4 days in the fridge.