Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice
This is one of my favourite recipes because it’s both Greek and Italian at the same time. It’s a bit like me…50% Greek and 50% Italian.
The Italian version is quite common around Rome, and Phil loves it. The Greek version can also include minced meat and it’s slightly more complicated to prepare. It’s part of the “laderá” category of food which means “oily”. These dishes are normally prepared in big batches and cooked with loads of good greek olive oil.
This specific dish is better suited for the Summertime, when tomatoes are at their best.
It’s my mum’s recipe so it’s a nice mix between the Italian and Greek versions, I hope you’ll like it as much as I do!
“I’ve always had these in restaurants or in Greek Tavernas. Didn’t think I’d make these at home. Also…do you really expect me to carve a tomato?”
Yes Phil…I am afraid you will have to carve tomatoes.
Summer in a plate.
Ingredients list
4 big ripe tomatoes
12 tbsp of risotto rice (roughly 3 tbsp per tomato)
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion
1 tbsp oregano
1 generous handful of basil
Salt and pepper to taste (I am putting this in bold because it’s always important to taste what you cook!)
1 tbsp tomato paste
Olive oil (don’t be shy, pour some more)
Potatoes (as many as your tray fits)
This time we only made 4 tomatoes, but I suggest you make a big tray because they keep well for a few days. I normally make them on a Sunday and slowly eat them through the week.
Tools
Blender
Oven
Cooking Time
1h hands on 1.5h in the oven
Step by Step
Wash your tomatoes. With a knife cut the top of the tomato (like a little hat) and put it aside.
With the help of a knife and a spoon carve out the tomatoes. Put all the bits you carved out in a bowl. Repeat for all the tomatoes. (pictures below)
Sprinkle some salt inside the carved tomatoes and put them to rest head down. This will help get rid of excess water.
Take the inside bits of the tomatoes from the bowl and blend them along with the onion, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt & pepper
Take roughly 2/3 of the blended tomatoes and mix them in a bowl along with the rice and olive oil (you can put as much olive oil as you want). Set it aside to rest for 1 hour. The rice will start absorbing the juices from the tomato and it will get softer — and tastier
After an hour, taste the blended tomato mix. If needed, add more salt
Take you tomatoes from the tray and get rid of the excess water
Fill your tomatoes with the rice and tomato juice mix and place them in a baking tray
Peel your potatoes and scatter them around the tray
Sprinkle everything with a bit of salt and pepper and a generous amount of olive oil
Put the little “hats” back on the tomatoes
Pour over the tomatoes and potatoes the remaining 1/3 of plain tomato juice you had set aside at the beginning
Now they are ready to go in the oven at 200° C for roughly 1.5h
Look at that crunchy rice!
Tips & cheats (what can go wrong and how to fix it)
This is simple recipe, but it takes long time to prepare. Don’t rush it, maybe prepare more than you need on a Sunday to cover your lunch for the following days
You can also mix it up and use green peppers as well as tomatoes. If you decide to do so, I suggest you slightly blanch the peppers before filling them with the rice and tomato mix. This is needed simply because they take longer to cook. If you skip this step, you’ll end up with cooked tomatoes and hard peppers
Don’t be afraid to keep them in for as long as needed in the oven. They are ready when the little top hat looks almost burnt and the tomatoes are wrinkly
Tomatoes tend to have a lot of water and you can’t predict how they’ll behave in the oven. If too much water comes out while they are in the oven don’t worry. Keep them in a bit longer and maybe put up the heat slightly. Last but not least, remember that once you take them out and they cool down they will re-absorb part of that liquid
Eat the skin. It’s tasty and good for you
Don’t eat them straight out of the oven. Let them rest and enjoy them at room temperature
“It took longer than expected but the result is really good. I think I need to learn to choose the right tomatoes for this dish.”
Phil has got a good point!
