Greek Easter Lamb Soup with Dolma

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the bay leaves, oregano, onion, garlic, and leek, then cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until softened and translucent. Add the lamb and bone, if included, and cook for another 10 minutes until the meat begins to brown. Pour in the white wine, stir in the sliced cos lettuce, and cook for 5 minutes. Add 3 litres cold water, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the lamb is tender.

While the lamb cooks, combine the parsley, mint, dill, spinach, and sea salt in a large bowl. Massage the greens with your hands for about 2 minutes, until they soften and wilt slightly. After the lamb has simmered for 40 minutes, stir half of the herb-spinach mixture into the soup and cook for the remaining 20 minutes. Remove and discard the bone, then lift out the lamb with a slotted spoon. Shred the meat with two forks, return it to the pot, remove the soup from the heat, and stir in the remaining greens.

For the dolma, use a slotted spoon to transfer about one-third of the lamb and greens from the soup to a bowl. Mix with the short-grain rice, 3 tbsp olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, and a little salt and pepper. Lay the vine leaves flat on a board, place 1 tsp filling in the centre of each leaf, then fold in the sides and roll tightly into small cigar shapes. Arrange the dolma in a single layer in a small saucepan, drizzle with the remaining oil, and add one ladleful of soup. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside.