5 servings
- 8 medium, red, round tomatoes
- 100-120 g (3.50 – 4.20 oz) basmati rice
- 3-4 leaves marjoram, finely minced
- 6 little sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and finely minced
- 3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked and finely minced
- 2 pods cardamom, pounded in a mortar
- Ginger 1 garlic clove, peeled and mashed
- Lemon zest
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
Cut a thin slice from the pot of each tomatoes to give an “hut-effect” when filled with the rice. Remove the pulp with a teaspoon and take it aside together with the vegetation water. Place the tomatoes upside-down in a colander for about 1 hour to eliminate the water in excess. Place the mashed garlic clove, a piece of mashed ginger and a piece of lemon zest in a ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil. Let them flavor until the basmati rice is ready. Cook the rice in boiling, salted water. Drain and pass it under cold, running water to stop the cooking. Once the rice is cooled, put it into a bowl. Add the marjoram, the rosemary and thyme leaves, the pounded cardamom and the aromatic oil (previously strained). Slightly salt the tomatoes and fill them with the rice.
Place the tomatoes in a greased baking tin (I also added some of the tomatoes water to prevent an excessive dryness).
Bake in the preheated oven at 180-200°C (350° F/ Gas 4) for about 20 minutes.
I did all the work in the morning, but I cook the tomatoes in the evening to let the ingredients get more flavour. This shows the madness of a do-it-yourself chef like me.
