When tomato season is at its peak, the French have the perfect response: tomates farçies.
This classic Provençal recipe calls for stuffing tomatoes with a mixture of beef, bread, and cheese, fragrant with herbs de Provençe, then roasting them on a bed of rice until tender and slightly crisp on top. This is a wonderfully comforting dish to welcome slightly cooler temperatures, all while enjoying late-summer bounty to the last bite.
An old-fashioned dish, tomates farçies were born as a way to make smart use of any leftover meat, bread, and fresh herbs people had in the kitchen. For this reason, you can find countless variations of the dish, be it made using ground beef, pork, chicken, or chopped-up leftover stewed meat, mixed with stale bread or rice, any kind of fresh herbs, or any type of hard cheese. But this recipe’s version is by far the most popular.
Tomato Tips
Naturally, this recipe is made during tomato season, when the fruits are perfectly ripe and sweet. With the great abundance of tomatoes in the south of France over late summer, the locals have developed a myriad of recipes like this one to make the most of the season (see also their beloved ratatouille or vegetable tian).Any medium-to-large red tomato variety will work for this recipe, including beefsteak, heirloom, or on-the-vine tomatoes. Avoid Roma tomatoes, as their oval shape makes them difficult to stand upright.
Choose ripe, juicy tomatoes that are still a little firm so that they don’t turn mushy when baked. Try to pick ones that are round, so that they stand well upright, and even in size, so that they bake evenly.
Stuffing Secrets
Although the stuffing for tomates farçies is quite rustic and straightforward to create, each of its components serves a specific purpose.The beef and the egg provide the protein component in the stuffing.
The bread absorbs the moisture released from the tomatoes and beef while they cook, ensuring that the stuffing doesn’t get soggy and that the tomatoes don’t turn mushy. Any stale bread works for this recipe, from a baguette to a French loaf to simple sliced white bread. The bread should be dry and easy to slice into cubes; then, make sure the cubes are fully soaked in milk so that they turn soft and are easy to mix.
The herbs de Provençe deliver classic Provençal flavors, helping give these stuffed tomatoes their signature taste. Herbs de Provençe is a typical mix of dried herbs from the region that usually includes savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and oregano. The mix can be found in some grocery stores or specialty stores, but if you can’t find it, you can easily make your own mix at home. Use an equal amount of each dried herb and mix. Keep it in a sealed jar or in a tied-up pouch for months.
The Parmesan cheese provides a nice salty kick and also helps bind all the ingredients together. This creates a stuffing that keeps its shape well once cooked and doesn’t crumble on the plate when slicing the tomato.
The rice, precooked and placed at the bottom of the dish, serves three purposes: It brings substance to the dish, helps keep the stuffed tomatoes upright while they roast, and absorbs the extra juices rendered by the meat and tomatoes while they cook (which also prevents the rice from burning). This ensures that the bottom of the tomatoes won’t get soggy while giving you an extra reward: a bed of flavorful rice with a crispy, charred top, turning this simple dish into a satisfying meal.
Tomates Farçies (French-Style Beef-Stuffed Tomatoes)
This recipe makes 6 stuffed tomatoes; you can easily double it to serve a larger crowd. These are traditionally enjoyed warm as a main course or at room temperature the next day when it’s just too hot to turn the oven on. Some swear that they taste even better the next day.For the rice, I like to use a long-grain variety such as basmati, but any kind works well. You'll need enough to cover the bottom of the dish by at least 2 inches.
- 6 medium, round, ripe but firm tomatoes
- 2 to 3 slices stale bread, cut into small cubes
- 3/4 cup milk (2 percent or whole)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 to 3 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon herbs de Provençe
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 2 to 3 cups cooked rice, or as needed
Place the bread cubes in a bowl and pour the milk over. Set aside to soak for 20 to 30 minutes or until the consistency is creamy enough to easily turn into a paste.
Coarsely chop the reserved tomato flesh. Heat 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and onion, and then add the tomato flesh and juices. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the moisture is gone and the mixture is reduced to a paste-like consistency.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the middle.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, salt, pepper, egg, basil, herbs de Provençe, Parmesan, and milk-soaked bread. Add the tomato flesh mixture and mix until just combined.
Grease a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread the cooked rice over the bottom.
Spoon the stuffing into the hollowed tomatoes, making sure they are well packed, and stand the stuffed tomatoes upright in the baking dish, on top of the rice. Top with the reserved tomato tops, and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the rice looks golden and crispy on top, the meat stuffing is cooked through and browned, and the tops of the tomatoes are wrinkled with charred edges. Turn off the oven and allow the dish to rest for another 30 minutes in the oven before serving.
