Petits Farcis Provencal Tomatoes Stuffed with Basil

There is some debate about whether Petit Farcis is a dish with roots in Provence or in the French Riviera city of Nice. Regardless of the answer, the result is a delicious, savoury main course dish. Petits Farcis are seasonal vegetables stuffed with a sausage meat mixture and then baked. The vegetables are often tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, sweet onions and even mushroom caps. The following recipe for Provencal Tomatoes Stuffed with Basil comes from Rose et Marius.

Rose et Marius is a luxury perfume house and home décor brand based in Aix-en-Provence. Founder Magali Fleurquin-Bonnard named the company after her grandmother, Rose, and as a tribute to Provence. Fleurquin-Bonnard’s inspiration for the exquisitely designed product line originates from childhood memories, at the family’s country home in Puget sur Argens (in the Var), and her grandmother’s perfume. Read more about this elegant French perfume brand and take advantage of the 10% reader’s discount.

Provencal Tomatoes Stuffed with Basil

This recipe calls for tomates ananas (pineapple tomatoes), which are a delicious varietal. However, sadly this type of tomato is not available everywhere, but beefsteak tomatoes will work fine as a substitute.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Dish

Cuisine French, Provencal

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 12 Pineapple Tomatoes allow 1 - 2 per person
• 1 medium shallot chopped
• 3 Garlic Cloves crushed
• 1 small Yellow Onion chopped
• 600 g (1.3 lb) Butcher Stuffing *see note
• 100 g (3.5 oz) Pine nuts
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 bunch Fresh Basil washed and chopped
• 100 g (3.5 oz) Black Camargue Rice or forbidden rice
• Salt and Pepper to your taste
• 1 tbsp Cumin or more to your taste
• a dash of Provence Olive Oil

Instructions

 

• Bring the salted water to the boil for the rice. Once the water is boiling add the rice and cook for 35 minutes. or according to the instructions for the rice you are using.
• Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
• Wash the tomatoes gently, dry them. Carefully cut the upper part and core (without piercing the skin). Remove the flesh and seeds so as to create a nice regular cylinder using a grapefruit spoon. Leave about half a centimetre of flesh around the edges. **
• Salt the inside of the tomatoes and turn them over so that they release their water.
• Brown the shallot in a frying pan with a little olive oil.
• Once the onion is golden, add the meat stuffing and crushed garlic. Turn the mixture over until everything is browned and any liquid has mostly evaporated. Remove from the heat.
• Allow the stuffing to cool a little before adding: cumin (generously), pine nuts, cooked rice (well-drained), the bouquet of finely chopped basil and 2 previously beaten eggs. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Fill the tomatoes with a small spoon and place them on a baking sheet.
• Cook for 25 minutes.
• Just before serving put a dash of olive oil on the stuffing and a basil leaf for presentation.
• Bon appétit!

Notes

*In France, most butchers have a prepared mixture for petits farcis. This is typically 1/3 of each lean ground beef, ground veal and ground pork.

** Keep the removed tomato flesh and seeds in the fridge for reuse in a tomato sauce recipe.

Keyword Beef, Pine Nuts, Pork, Rice, Sausage, Tomatoes

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Other Traditional Provencal Recipes:

Les Petits Farcis a Provencal Specialty from Nice

Elizabeth Bard’s Petits Farcis Stuffed Tomatoes and Zucchini

Food Favourites and Recipes from Provence

Baked Ratatouille Tian Recipe Le Pistou Uzès

Provencal Ratatouille a Traditional Recipe