Stuffed Lamb Tomatoes

Method7 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Heat the oven to 180 °C/ 160 °C fan/gas 4. Wash all four beef tomatoes, slice off their tops and keep the lids with their tomatoes.

   Uses 4 large beef tomatoes

2. 2

   Step 2: Scoop most of the pulp from all four tomatoes with a teaspoon without breaking their skins. Finely chop the scooped pulp and retain every bit of its juice separately from the hollow tomato shells and lids.

   Uses All tomatoes and their lids

3. 3

   Step 3: Divide the pinch of sugar inside the four hollow tomato shells. Set the shells on a baking tray and keep their lids and all the chopped pulp and juice ready.

   Uses All four hollow tomato shells and lids; retain pulp and juice separately · 1 pinch sugar for tomato interiors

4. 4

   Step 4: Peel and finely chop the onion (1) and both garlic cloves (2). Heat the first two tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan and cook all the onion and garlic gently for about ten minutes, until soft but not coloured. Add all the raw minced lamb (200 g), the one teaspoon ground cinnamon and concentrated tomato purée (2 tbsp), increase the heat and fry until the lamb is browned, breaking up lumps. Wash hands and utensils after handling raw lamb.

   First soften onion and garlic before browning lamb · 10 minUses 4 tbsp Greek extra virgin olive oil, divided equally · 1 Spanish onion · 2 garlic cloves · 200 g raw minced lamb · 1 tsp ground cinnamon · 2 tbsp concentrated tomato purée

5. 5

   Step 5: Add all the reserved chopped tomato pulp and juice, dry long-grain rice (50 g) and prepared chicken stock (100 ml) to the browned lamb pan. Season generously with salt and ground black pepper to taste.

   Uses All browned lamb and aromatic pan · All reserved chopped tomato pulp and its juice · 50 g dry long-grain rice · 100 ml prepared chicken stock · Salt to season the filling, to taste · Ground black pepper to season the filling, to taste

6. 6

   Step 6: Bring the complete filling to a boil, then simmer for about fifteen minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed; continue as needed until the lamb reaches 71 °C/ 160 °F. Set the cooked filling aside briefly until easy to handle. Wash and chop the fresh herbs, measure four tablespoons dill, two tablespoons flat-leaf parsley and one tablespoon mint, and stir all these measured herbs through the cooked filling.

   Simmer lamb rice filling until tender and cooked · 15 minUses All assembled filling · 4 tbsp chopped fresh dill · 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley · 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint

7. 7

   Step 7: Divide all the cooked herb-lamb-rice filling among the four tomato shells, filling to the brim, and replace their lids. Drizzle the remaining two tablespoons measured olive oil over them and sprinkle the three tablespoons water into the tray. Bake at 180 °C/ 160 °C fan for about thirty-five minutes, until the tomatoes are tender and the filling is thoroughly hot. Serve the four cooked stuffed tomatoes hot with ready salad and crusty bread, adding the optional extra olive-oil drizzle only as desired.

   Bake filled tomatoes until tender · 35 minUses All four prepared tomato shells and lids · All finished filling · 4 tbsp Greek extra virgin olive oil, divided equally · 3 tbsp water for baking tray · Salad to serve, as desired · Crusty bread to serve, as desired · Extra olive oil to drizzle at serving, as desired