This may be controversial, but Greek food is not among my favourites. Actually on second thought, let me rephrase: this may be controversial, but Greek food… in Greece, is not among my favourites. I know, I’m sorry! Give me a ticket any day to Greece and I’ll be a happy tourist but please oh please don’t make me eat at the tourist traps like everyone else. That was until I discovered (on my third holiday attempt to appreciate the cuisine) Gemista. It’s like it all finally came together for me and I understood how the Mediterranean produce goddess worked hand in hand with the Yia Yia’s. Here’s my humble attempt and darn it, it tastes goooooood.
Gemista (Baked Greek Rice Deliciousness)
Makes 5
Ingredients
- 5 large red capsicums
- Olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 carrot
- Half a zucchini
- 1 1/2 cups short grain white rice
- 2tbs tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1tsp white sugar
- Salt & pepper
- Handful of mint and parsley
Method
Turn your oven on to 170 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Start by getting your onion and garlic chopped up super finely then sauté in your largest skillet over low/medium heat with a super generous glut of olive oil. While that’s doing its thing, chop up your carrot then plop into the mix following by the zucchini. The smaller you chop the these veg the better, so take your time. You may need to add extra olive oil to the pan along the way. Leave those veg to cook away while you rinse your rice in a bowl again and again until the water is clear (approx 4 times). Drain the water then stir the rice through the veg pan. After a few minutes, add your tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper. Leave this to heat through then pour in your stock. Keeping the temp low, let it slowly simmer very gently. Chop up your herbs now but leave on your counter.
On a separate chopping board cut the very tops off your capsicums then using a small knife carefully remove the inside bit, shaking out any excess seeds.
Stir the herbs through the rice and once all the liquid has completely reduced, spoon the mixture into the capsicums leaving 1cm at the top free (don’t worry that the rice isn’t fully cooked – the oven will do the rest). Pop the tops back on the capsicums and carefully placed them on your baking tray so they can stand up. Drizzle with olive oil and salt then bake for 30 minutes.
You may have left over rice in the pan. If so, add a little extra stock and simmer away until the rice is cooked – a nice little leftover bowl in the fridge. Alternatively you can remove the insides of tomatoes and stuff them also or just go buy more capsicums! Enjoy 🙂
