MARTINI FAMILY STUFFED CAPSICUMS

SERVES 6

This is a signature family dish. It was always a pleasure to come home and recognise the scent of them cooking. In a way, these were our version of meat and (almost) three veg, just all in the one delicious dish.

8 large red or green capsicums 2 onions, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

31/2 tsp ground cinnamon

21/2 tsp chilli powder

31/2 tsp dried mint

1kg beef mince

2 eggs, lightly beaten

100g fresh breadcrumbs

1/2 cup (100g) basmati rice, soaked in

boiling water for 15 minutes, drained 1/2 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves

roughly chopped

800ml tomato passata

600ml chicken stock, or water

1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus

extra to drizzle

Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced.

Cut the stem out of each capsicum with a paring knife, then scoop the seeds out with your fingers. Discard stems and seeds.

Heat a large glug of oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 6 minutes or until softened. Add cinnamon, chilli and dried mint, then season and remove from the heat.

Tip onion mixture into a large bowl. Add beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, rice and parsley, season generously and combine well with your hands. Spoon mixture into capsicums, packing it in reasonably firmly (but not forcefully), leaving a little space at the top for the rice to expand.

Drizzle a generous amount of oil into an ovenproof dish and nestle the capsicums inside. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Combine passata, stock and oil, season, then pour mixture over the capsicums. Cover with baking paper, then foil, and bake for 50 minutes.

Remove paper and foil and bake for a further 10 minutes before serving.

PAIR WITH Serve with lots of bread to soak up the juices! For a complete meal, serve with rice, couscous or potato mash.