Domates Yemistes ( Stuffed Tomatoes )
Submitted by nessca
Greek stuffed tomatoes loaded with seasoned lamb, rice, fresh mint, and a splash of white wine, baked until the shells are tender and the filling is fragrant. A Mediterranean classic that brings the flavors of the Greek islands to your table.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
40 minCOOK
60 minREADY
100 minHollow out ripe tomatoes, pack them with a savory lamb and rice filling laced with mint, nutmeg, and garlic, then let the oven do the rest.
This is Greek comfort food at its finest. The tomatoes soften and concentrate their sweetness while the lamb filling soaks up all those herbaceous juices from the inside out.
Serve these alongside a crisp cucumber salad and warm crusty bread for a meal that feels like a sun-drenched evening on Santorini.
Kitchen Tips
- Save the scooped-out tomato pulp and add it to the filling mixture for extra moisture and flavor
- Choose tomatoes that sit flat on a baking dish so they don’t tip over and spill the filling
- Let the stuffed tomatoes rest for 10 minutes after baking so the rice absorbs the last of the juices
- A drizzle of good olive oil over the tops before baking gives the edges a golden, slightly caramelized finish
Ingredients
Directions
Wash the tomatoes, then turn each stem-side down, and with a sharp knife carefully cut the end now up to make an opening or “cap” being careful not to detach the cap entirely.
With a small spoon, carefully, without breaking the outer skin of the tomatoes, scoop the pulp into a bowl.
Place the tomato shells in a baking-serving dish large enough to support them touching.
Sprinkle the inside of the shells with salt and sugar.
Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing.
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and add the onions.
Cook over moderate heat until soft and transparent, then add the garlic and parsley, and blend.
Add the meat, mashing with a fork, then add the wine and water, cover, and simmer for a few minutes.
Add the rice and tomato pulp and stir.
(Tomato juice may be added if necessary, since the mixture should provide enough liquid for the rice to absorb.)
Cover the skillet and simmer about 7 minutes, then add salt, pepper, mint or basil, and nutmeg.
Taste for seasoning.
Remove from heat, and fill the tomatoes up about two-thirds of the way with the stuffing and liquid.
Cover with tomato caps, brush with oil.
Bake in a moderate oven (350℉/180℃) until the rice is tender (approximately 50 minutes to 1 hour), basting inside the tomatoes with liquid released by them.
Serve warm.
Note: For Tomatoes stuffed with Rice, use 1¼ cups raw long-grain white rice instead of the meat and rice in the above recipe, eliminate the wine, and include with the other seasonings a few tablespoons each of black raisins and 2 tablespoons pine nuts,
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