Rice-Stuffed Peppers (Gemista)

by Harry Lancaster November 12, 1999

Rice-Stuffed Peppers (Gemista)

By: Harry Lancaster

Another childhood memory is these stuffed peppers being a central part of a lunch spread. The signature is the herbed rice, parsley and mint together, baked slowly in olive oil until the pepper skins blister and slump. Don’t rush the bake and go for a little char on top. When the skins look over baked, […]

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Prep time

Cook time

Recipe

Vegan, Gluten Free

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil plus extra for drizzling
1 onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup medium-grain rice
400g ripe tomatoes, grated if possible (or 400g tin crushed tomatoes)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 large handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 handful mint, chopped
2 tbsp pine nuts, optional
2 tbsp currants or sultanas, optional
Zest 1 lemon
6 large capsicums, tops cut off & reserved, seeds removed
2–3 potatoes, cut into thick wedges
`Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and gently soften the onion for a few mins, then add the garlic and cook for another 1 min.
Stir in the rice to coat it in the oil, then add the grated tomato, tomato paste, herbs, pine nuts, currants and lemon zest. Season well and cook gently for a few mins, stirring well.
Sit the hollowed capsicums upright in a baking dish and spoon in the filling, leaving them about three-quarters full to give the rice room to expand. Pop the reserved tops back on.
Tuck the potato wedges into the gaps around the peppers, season them, and pour a little water and any leftover tomato around the base of the dish. Be generous with a final drizzle of olive oil over everything.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for around 50 mins. Then uncover and bake a further 20–30 mins until the rice is tender, the potatoes are cooked through and the pepper skins are blistered and lightly charred.
Let it sit and come down to lukewarm before serving which is when it tastes its best.