Tomatoes stuffed with buttery rice pilaf, served with chermoula

1.To make the chermoula, put all the ingredients, except oil, in a liquidiser (or food processor) and blend until smooth. With machine running, pour in oil through feed tube. Transfer to a bowl, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, adding a little more salt or lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until required.

2.To make pilaf, cook onion in the butter in a medium saucepan over a gentle heat until tender. Put rice in a sieve and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Add rice to pan, add cumin seeds and raisins or sultanas, stir well, then pour in stock. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn heat to low, cover pan with a lid and cook for 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat but don’t lift the lid. Leave for 5 minutes. Season with ½ teaspoon salt.

3.Preheat oven to 210°C (fan-forced). Slice a ‘cap’ off tomatoes from the stalk end and reserve. Use a small serrated knife (a curved grapefruit knife is ideal) then a spoon to remove all seeds and pulp (this can be drained and the liquid refrigerated for up to 2 days for use in soups, sauces or as vegetable stock). Drain tomatoes upside down for 10 minutes.

4.Sprinkle inside tomatoes with coriander seeds, a little flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fill with rice, mounding it on top and pressing gently to keep it in place.

5.Put the tomatoes in a shallow ovenproof dish lined with baking paper, choosing a dish in which they fit snugly, allowing room for the ‘caps’ too. Place ‘caps’ cut-side down in the dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Distribute the cheese over the top of the tomatoes, then the crumbs.

6.Bake for 15 minutes until cheese has formed a golden crust. The tomatoes will stay piping hot for at least 10 minutes; be careful if serving to children. Serve with chermoula.