This homely French classic is an amazing weeknight supper.
I love to drive the acidity of this dish with both red wine vinegar and lemon juice to complement the sweet umami of the tomatoes and cheese. It makes it a tangy, savoury dish that is very satisfying.
Pick a nice fruity red wine to accompany this dish - Anima or Sanuguis would be excellent choices.
Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
8 large tomatoes
500g of minced fatty pork
150-200g of your favourite cheese in cubes
20g flat-leaf parsley
For the rice:
2 onions, chopped finely
¾ mug of rice (Jasmine)
2 pinches of dried chilli
6 pinches of mixed dried Italian herbs
¼ bottle of red wine vinegar
Olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 lemons
10 pinches of salt.
60 twists of the black pepper mill
For the rice:
Preheat your oven to 220°C
Use a large sheet pan with at least 6cm sides into which you can comfortably place all the tomatoes with at least 1cm between them.
Pour enough oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan. Then scatter the chilli, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs into the oil. Now dilute with the vinegar, ensuring that it is all evenly distributed.
Sprinkle the chopped onion across the pan, followed by the rice.
Now cut the top 1cm off the top of your large tomatoes and, using a teaspoon carefully, gouge out the centres. Reserve the tomato pulp, chop and sprinkle over the rice.
Now add 2 mugs of boiling water to the rice.
For the meatballs:
Place the mince into a mixing bowl in a flat layer, and sprinkle salt across the whole area of the mince.
Add the cubed cheese and chopped parsley. Combine well to create a homogeneous sticky ball.
Stuff as much meatball mix as you can in each tomato shell (be careful not to break the tomato apart). Top with a lid and then place it into the rice pan.
Put the pan into the oven and cook for between 30 and 45 minutes (or until the rice is cooked). When you remove the pan, squeeze over the lemon juice and serve.
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