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Stuffed Tomatoes
Recipe by Graham
Tomatoes are extremely versatile creatures. They can be eaten hot or cold, on their own or as an accompaniment to other dishes. In this recipe for Stuffed Tomato, you will be captivated by the admirable combination of savoury meat and moist tomato. It has become one of my favourites, being reasonably easy to prepare, inexpensive and extremely tasty!
Stuffed Shoulder of Lamb 
Stuffed Turkey Burgers Ingredients for Stuffed Tomatoes
Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
How to Cook Stuffed Tomatoes
- Using a sharp knife, cut away the base of the tomatoes (or the top - makes no difference except to appearance). Place the off-cuts to one side (these will be circular 'caps' about 1" - 1½" (2.5cm - 3.5cm) in diameter). Using a teaspoon and a short, sharp knife (if necessary) carefully scoop out the insides of the tomatoes, leaving the outer flesh intact. Don't discard the insides of the tomatoes since you can make a great fresh tomato sauce from them.
- Salt the insides of the tomatoes well and turn them upside-down on absorbent kitchen paper for half-an-hour (or longer) to get rid of some of the water from the flesh. Meanwhile, cut the crusts off the bread and crumble the white insides between your fingers to create breadcrumbs (make sure you end up with about 2 cupfuls of breadcrumbs). Place these into a mixing bowl and pour the milk over so that it soaks into the bread.
- Peel and crush (mince) the garlic and mix with the sausage meat and parsley. Add a good few twists of fresh pepper then squeeze out any excess milk from the breadcrumbs and add those too. Mix well together then heat gently in a frying pan for about 8-10 minutes turning the mixture all the time so that it removes the moisture, breaks up and becomes pale beige in colour. (If you aren't using a non-stick pan, you need to add a little oil first)
- Allow this mixture to cool a little then, using a teaspoon, stuff the tomatoes up to the top, using just sufficient pressure to make the mixture firm inside the tomatoes without splitting them. Place the tomatoes into a well-buttered oven-proof dish and replace the 'lids' that were cut off at the beginning.
- Pour or brush a little olive oil over the tomato 'lids' (it helps stop them burning), add about ¼" (0.5cm) of water to the dish then place it in the middle of a preheated oven Mk 6 - 400ºF - 200ºC for about 40 minutes. Serve the tomatoes, either with a few French fries or with Basmati rice. I can assure you that the result is well worth the time taken to prepare this dish.
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
I often wrap a little square of aluminium foil round the tomato lids to stop them burning. The aluminium can be removed just before cooking ends.
Reviews of Stuffed Tomatoes
| October 24 2021 I made this recipe again this evening. I'd forgotten how good it was. I confess to making a few minor changes because the sausage meat where I am is too refined, and this recipe is best with a slightly rougher texture of meat. So I minced a slice of gammon and a large pork chop, then mixed that with the sausage meat. Results were amazing. Definitely a keeper, this one. shayfox (2 reviews) |
June 05 2018 The sausage meat in France is quite coarse but here in UK it's smoother, and doesn't work so well. So what I do is to buy pork chops, gammon steaks, and some ready sausage meat. I have a meat grinder, so I grind the pork and gammon and add to the pre-packed sausage meat. It gives it a great taste and a better texture. I've also discovered a great way to freeze stuffed tomatoes. I make several at a time. When they have cooled down, I wrap them individually in aluminium foil (I tend to use two layers to get a good seal). When I want to eat them, I take them from the freezer at least 12 hours beforehand and leave them at room temperature. Then I cook them (inside the foil) in a preheated oven 400ºF - 200ºC for about 30 minutes. I move them from the foil onto the plate using two tablespoons. TOP TIP!! Bsinger (1 review) |
January 17 2014 I grew up in France and remember eating these quite often. I wondered if your recipe would be as good as "the real thing"! In fact, it was spot on. These were EXACTLY as I remember them, with the luscious, moist sausage meat with a hint of garlic, all wrapped up un tender big tomatoes and served with basmati rice. What a treat! And the family loved them too. Now I've introduced them to Stuffed Tomatoes I have an idea they will be on the menu quite often! Maria (5 reviews) |
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