Title: Baked Tomatoes Bari-Style Stuffed With Capers And Anchovi
Categories: Italian
Yield: 4 Servings
8 md Fresh; ripe, firm round
-tomatoes
4 tb Extra-virgin olive oil; plus
-a little for smearing the
-baking dish
75 g Onion; chopped
6 Flat anchovy fillets;
-chopped to a pulp
45 g Fine; dry, unflavored
-breadcrumbs
1 tb Capers; drained or rinsed if
-packed in salt, chopped
1/2 ts Oregano; chopped
2 tb Parsley; chopped
Salt
Black pepper; freshly ground
Turn on the oven to 200°C / 400°F.
Wash the tomatoes. Using a serrated knife or sharp paring knife,
slice the top of each tomato, but do not cut it off completely: leave
one end still connected to the bottom by the skin so that it will
function as a lid, with the skin its hinge. Using a spoon, hollow out
the tomato bottoms, removing the seeds and core. Place the tomatoes
in a colander, turning them cut side facing down, to let all the
juices drain away.
Put 3 tb of olive oil and all the chopped onion in a small frying
pan, turn on the heat to medium high, and cook the onion, stirring
from time to time, until it goldens.
Turn down the heat to very low and add the chopped anchovies to the
pan, stirring with a wooden spoon until they dissolve.
Transfer the contents of the pan to a small mixing bowl, add the
breadcrumbs, chopped capers, oregano, and parsley. Turn over all the
ingredients to blend them into a uniform mixture. Taste and correct
for salt, taking into account that the tomatoes have not been salted,
and add several grindings of pepper. Stir thoroughly once again.
Retrieve the tomatoes from the colander, stuff them with the anchovy
and caper mixture, drizzle over it the remaining 1 tb of oil, and
close the tomatoes with their own tops.
Thinly smear the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil, put in the
tomatoes, and bake in the upper half of the preheated oven for 30 to
40 minutes. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature. Do not refrigerate
before serving.
