Vietnamese-style tomatoes stuffed with fish and mushrooms

Name: Vietnamese-style tomatoes stuffed with fish and mushrooms
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 12 medium-sized tomatoes, not too ripe; 150g button mushrooms, finely diced; 350g gurnard fillet, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 3 eschalots, finely chopped; 2 tbs fish sauce; 2 tbs spring onion, finely sliced; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 100ml extra virgin olive oil; 1 tsp tomato paste; 2 tsp sugar; 2 red chillies, finely sliced; Handful coriander leaves, chopped

Steve Manfredi

February 13, 2012

Vietnamese-style tomatoes stuffed with fish and mushrooms.Marco Del Grande

Time:< 30 mins

This dish is inspired by a recipe from Luke Nguyen's book The Songs of Sapa.

Ingredients

12 medium-sized tomatoes, not too ripe
150g button mushrooms, finely diced
350g gurnard fillet, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 eschalots, finely chopped
2 tbs fish sauce
2 tbs spring onion, finely sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
100ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
2 red chillies, finely sliced
Handful coriander leaves, chopped

Method

Cut tops off tomatoes, scoop out seeds and pulp with a teaspoon, making sure not to pierce the walls. Keep pulp in a separate bowl. In another bowl, combine mushrooms, fish, half the garlic and eschalot and half the fish sauce. Add spring onion, salt and pepper. Knead together well and stuff into tomato shells.
Heat half the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and eschalot and fry until soft. Add remaining fish sauce, tomato paste and sugar. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, then set aside. Heat remaining oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Fry tomatoes, stuffing-side down, until brown (3 minutes). Turn over and fry for a further 3-4 minutes. Remove tomatoes and keep warm.
Add sauce to pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes, then serve tomatoes with sauce, finishing with chillies and coriander.