Tomatoes In The Hole | Guest Recipes | Nigella's Recipes (2024)

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Introduction

This is such a good way to turn tomatoes into an utterly delicious main-course sort of affair, and it’s fun to make too. The idea is, of course, toad-like, but I think it offers a little more than bangers in batter. The tomatoes are so sweet and juicy they almost make a gravy of their own accord. I add wedges of red onion and lots of garlic, rosemary and thyme, which all work wonderfully. A little finely grated aged cheese is a nice touch – you could even use a blue cheese if you liked. Plus – after more than 20 years of cooking – I’ve finally found a batter recipe I want to be associated with. It actually works, every time. Thank you, Barney!

This is such a good way to turn tomatoes into an utterly delicious main-course sort of affair, and it’s fun to make too. The idea is, of course, toad-like, but I think it offers a little more than bangers in batter. The tomatoes are so sweet and juicy they almost make a gravy of their own accord. I add wedges of red onion and lots of garlic, rosemary and thyme, which all work wonderfully. A little finely grated aged cheese is a nice touch – you could even use a blue cheese if you liked. Plus – after more than 20 years of cooking – I’ve finally found a batter recipe I want to be associated with. It actually works, every time. Thank you, Barney!

As featured in

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Ingredients

Serves: 2

MetricCups

  • 500 grams ripe, mixed tomatoes (halved if large)
  • 1 red onion (cut into chunky wedges)
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • 2 cloves of garlic (thickly sliced)
  • 4 sprigs of thyme (leaves stripped)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • a scattering of grated hard sheep's or goat's cheese

For the batter:

  • 140 grams plain flour
  • 4 eggs (lightly beaten)
  • 200 millilitres whole milk
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound 2 ounces ripe, mixed tomatoes (halved if large)
  • 1 red onion (cut into chunky wedges)
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • 2 cloves of garlic (thickly sliced)
  • 4 sprigs of thyme (leaves stripped)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • a scattering of grated hard sheep's or goat's cheese

For the batter:

  • 5 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 4 eggs (lightly beaten)
  • 7 fluid ounces whole milk
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Tomatoes In The Hole is a guest recipe by Gill Meller so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe

  1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6.
  2. First, make the batter. Tip the flour into a bowl and whisk in the eggs until everything is nice and smooth. Gradually add the milk, whisking continuously until you are certain there are no lumps. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  3. Place the tomatoes in a large roasting tin, cut sides upwards for those you’ve halved. Place the onion wedges around the tomatoes. Tear over the rosemary, dot over the sliced garlic and sprinkle over the thyme leaves. Trickle everything with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 25–30 minutes, or until the onions are tender and the tomatoes are soft. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool a little.
  4. Meanwhile, increase the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7. Pour the sunflower oil into a second roasting tin (about 30 x 20cm/12 x 8in) and place it in the oven to heat up for 5 minutes. When the oil is super-hot, carefully remove from the oven and quickly use a spatula to arrange the roasted tomatoes and onions over the base of the tin – things may spit a little so be careful. Pour the batter around the veg and place the tin straight back in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, until the batter is puffed up and golden. Scatter the grated cheese over the top, close the oven door and cook for a further 6–8 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve straight away with a dressed green salad.
  1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6.
  2. First, make the batter. Tip the flour into a bowl and whisk in the eggs until everything is nice and smooth. Gradually add the milk, whisking continuously until you are certain there are no lumps. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  3. Place the tomatoes in a large roasting tin, cut sides upwards for those you’ve halved. Place the onion wedges around the tomatoes. Tear over the rosemary, dot over the sliced garlic and sprinkle over the thyme leaves. Trickle everything with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 25–30 minutes, or until the onions are tender and the tomatoes are soft. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool a little.
  4. Meanwhile, increase the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7. Pour the vegetable oil into a second roasting tin (about 30 x 20cm/12 x 8in) and place it in the oven to heat up for 5 minutes. When the oil is super-hot, carefully remove from the oven and quickly use a spatula to arrange the roasted tomatoes and onions over the base of the tin – things may spit a little so be careful. Pour the batter around the veg and place the tin straight back in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, until the batter is puffed up and golden. Scatter the grated cheese over the top, close the oven door and cook for a further 6–8 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve straight away with a dressed green salad.

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Tell us what you think

What 2 Others have said

  • This is a great veggie alternative to a British classic - we're already planning to make it again this week. And the batter recipe really does work!

    Posted by elliep311 on 16th June 2020
  • I prefer Parmesan. What a great recipe idea! Like a Yorkshire pudding or a Dutch baby; similar technique.

    Posted by hollis517 on 2nd June 2020

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Tomatoes In The Hole | Guest Recipes | Nigella's Recipes (3)

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Tomatoes In The Hole | Guest Recipes | Nigella's Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with a large batch of tomatoes? ›

6 Creative Ways to Use Up Extra Tomatoes
  1. Salsa. Making a few fresh jars of salsa is a great way to use up any extra Tomatoes in your kitchen. ...
  2. Ketchup. Have you ever made your own ketchup? ...
  3. Virgin Caesars. ...
  4. Tomato Soup. ...
  5. Bruschetta. ...
  6. Gazpacho.
Jul 27, 2020

Can I freeze tomatoes? ›

Tomatoes may be frozen raw or cooked, whole, sliced, chopped, or puréed. Tomatoes do not need to be blanched before freezing. Frozen tomatoes are best used in cooked foods such as soups, sauces and stews as they become mushy when they're thawed.

How do you can tomatoes for long term storage? ›

Here's how to do it:
  1. Wash and peel the tomatoes; halve, if desired.
  2. Fill the jars, pressing to fill spaces with juice.
  3. Add bottled lemon juice and salt (1 Tbsp. lemon juice and ¼ to ½ tsp. salt for pints; add 2 Tbsp. lemon juice and ½ to 1 tsp. ...
  4. In a boiling-water canner, process pints and quarts for 85 minutes.
Aug 8, 2023

Should you remove bottom leaves from tomatoes? ›

To help improve airflow and cut down on the chance of disease, remove the leaves along the bottom 12 inches of the stems of indeterminate tomato plants.

Can you freeze a glut of tomatoes? ›

Freezing tomatoes is a convenient way to preserve fresh, ripe, and juicy tomatoes if you don't want to go through the effort of canning them, or you don't have enough tomatoes to make it worthwhile to fire up the stove for canning.

Can tomatoes be overcrowded? ›

But this can be a recipe for garden disaster. Planting tomatoes too closely can cause all kinds of issues, from stunted growth to disease. Thankfully, it's easy to space plants properly.

Can I dehydrate tomatoes? ›

Plum, oval or pear-shaped Italian, Roma or paste tomatoes are best for drying. A food dehydrator is the best options for drying tomatoes.

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