Gemista - Greek stuffed tomatoes and peppers
This is probably one of the most traditional recipes you can find in Greece. Gemista means 'filled' and these tomatoes and peppers are stuffed with the most delicious filling. You can make vegetarian or meat versions of this dish, both are equally as nice and every family has their own little twist to the recipe.
You can be as creative as you want with your filling, however I have kept it traditional and used minced lamb with rice and herbs, however both minced pork and beef go well too.
Gemista is part of the group of Greek recipes called 'Ladera' which means 'oily' and they are usually cooked with a large helping of Greek extra virgin olive oil. They are so tasty and soft when cooked and are usually served with potatoes (cooked in the same baking tray) and some feta cheese on the side. Greeks love their feta cheese and so do I!
Most tavernas in Greece will serve this dish and it is a great recipe to eat during the summer months when there is an abundance of fresh beef tomatoes growing everywhere. It can be quite hard to find large tomatoes in England, however I found mine on Ocado and after letting them ripen for a few days, they came out perfectly.
Here is my recipe for Gemista stuffed with lamb and rice (serves 2/3 people):
Ingredients
2 Beef tomatoes
2 Green peppers
2 Large baking potatoes
Pinch of sugar
5 tbsp Chopped dill
3 tbsp Chopped parsley
4 tbsp of extra virgin Greek olive oil, extra for drizzling
1 Onion finely chopped
2 Garlic cloves finely chopped
200g Minced lamb
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
2 tbsp Tomato puree
50g Long grain rice
100ml Chicken stock
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 180C. Slice the top of the tomatoes and peppers off and place to one side (you will need these later). Using a teaspoon, scoop out the inside pulp of the tomatoes (make sure you do not pierce the skin) and place in a bowl. Blitz the pulp using a hand held blender. Remove the inside of the peppers and dispose of their interior. Sprinkle the inside of the tomatoes with a bit of sugar and place them to one side.
2. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large frypan, add the garlic and onion and cook until soft. Add lamb, cinnamon, tomato puree to the frypan and cook until the meat is brown.
3. Add the bowl of tomato pulp, rice and chicken stock to the frypan and mix. Add the chopped parsley and dill & season generously. Cool until the juices are absorbed and the rice is soft (usually takes 15-20 minutes).
4. Whilst the rice is cooking, chop the potatoes into long moon shapes (like the picture below). Place them in the baking tray and drizzle with a generous helping of olive oil. These need to go into the oven 10 minutes before the stuffed vegetables.
5. Once the filling is cooked, stuff the tomatoes and peppers with the mixture, put their lids back on (hopefully you haven't forgotten which lids goes on which vegetable!) and place them in the baking tray with the potatoes.
6. Turn the potatoes over, drizzle the stuffed vegetables with 2 tablespoons of olive oil (add some more if necessary - the more the better) and add 3 tablespoons of water to the baking tray. Bake for 35 mins. Serve with a side of Greek salad and feta cheese!
Kali orexi - enjoy!!
No comments