Yiayia's Gemista - Greek Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes & Peppers

⏱ 110 min · Serves 4

Sun-ripened tomatoes and sweet peppers hollowed out and packed with herby, cinnamon-scented rice, then baked low and slow with potato wedges until everything collapses into sweet, olive-oil-rich comfort. Serve warm, not hot, with bread and feta - the way it's meant to be.

Per serving: 615 kcal · 11.0g protein · 74.0g carbs · 31.0g fat

Ingredients

• 6 large ripe beef tomatoes
• 4 medium bell peppers (mixed colours)
• 200g long-grain or medium-grain rice, rinsed
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into thick wedges
• 2 tbsp fine breadcrumbs
• 250ml hot water or vegetable stock
• Salt and black pepper
• Crusty bread and feta, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C fan / 200C. Slice the tops off the tomatoes and keep them as lids. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon into a bowl, leaving sturdy shells. Cut the tops off the peppers, keep as lids, and remove the seeds.
2. Blitz or finely chop the tomato flesh. Stir in the tomato purée, sugar and a good pinch of salt.
3. Warm 80ml of the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and soften the onions for 10 minutes until sweet. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Off the heat, stir in the rice, half the tomato pulp mixture, all the parsley, mint, dill, cinnamon, oregano, 1 tsp salt and plenty of pepper. The rice stays raw - it cooks in the oven.
5. Season the insides of the tomato and pepper shells lightly with salt. Stand them snugly in a deep roasting tin and fill each two-thirds full with the rice mixture - it needs room to swell.
6. Tuck the potato wedges into the gaps, season them and pop the lids back on the vegetables.
7. Pour the remaining tomato pulp and the hot water around the base, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the exposed filling and drizzle everything generously with the rest of the olive oil.
8. Cover with foil and bake 50 minutes. Uncover, baste with the pan juices and bake a further 25-30 minutes until the rice is tender, the tops are caramelised and the potatoes are soft.
9. Rest at least 20 minutes before serving - gemista tastes best warm, with bread for the juices and a slab of feta.