Tomatoes Stuffed With Herb Anchovy Rice

4 large, ripe tomatoes
salt
225 g/8 oz cooked, brown rice, well rinsed
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
25 g/1 oz chopped fresh basil or 2 tablespoons
dried basil chopped with an extra 2 tablespoons
parsley
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 flat, canned anchovy fillets, drained and
chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
freshly ground black pepper
sugar
parsley sprigs, to garnish

Cut a slice from the top of each tomato and set the slices aside. Scoop out the pulp with a sharp- edged spoon, leaving a shell about 1 cm/'h inch thick, and place the pulp in a sieve set over a bowl. Sprinkle inside the shells with salt and stand upside down on paper towels to drain. Rub the pulp through the sieve.

Place the rice, parsley, basil, oil, anchovies, garlic and 120 ml/4 fl oz of the tomato pulp in a bowl and mix lightly together. Season to taste with salt and pepper and a dash of sugar.

Stand the tomato shells upright in an oiled, shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them (prop them up with crumpled aluminium foil &necessary). Spoon the rice mixture into each shell and cover the tops with the reserved slices. Bake the tomatoes in a preheated moderately hot oven (190 °C/375 °F, Gas Mark 5) for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomato shells are slightly softened. Serve hot or cold, garnished with sprigs of parsley.

SERVES 4