Monday night baked tomatoes

Baked tomatoes stuffed with chorizo and rice, with green beans

Serves 4

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic, finely

chopped 1 large sprig thyme 1 small onion, finely

chopped 1 small carrot, finely diced 2 chorizos, diced 1cm 1 tsp sweet smoked

Spanish paprika 75g risotto or paella rice 8 large firm ripe tomatoes, tops sliced off about ¼ of the way down the tomato so you have caps, insides scooped out with a teaspoon (reserve the pulp, cores and seeds) 250ml chicken stock 300g green beans 1 Tbsp coarsely chopped

parsley Heat the oven to 200C. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan over moderate heat and add the garlic, thyme, onion, carrot and chorizos. Stir-fry gently, without browning for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the thyme and add the paprika and rice. Season and mix well. Place the tomatoes side by side, cut sides up, in an ovenproof dish. Spoon the rice mixture into each tomato and replace the caps on top of each (cram it in but don’t break the tomatoes). Strain the pulp, cores and seeds from the tomatoes and pour 150ml of the juice around the stuffed tomatoes. Pour the chicken stock around the tomatoes. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of oil over the tops of the tomatoes. Place in the oven and bake 1 hour or until the rice is tender (it will be firm to the bite) and the tomatoes well browned. Baste occasionally as they cook. Meanwhile drop the beans into a saucepan of boiling salted water and boil gently for 3 minutes. Drain well. Serve the tomatoes and their juices, sprinkled with the parsley, with the beans on the side