Roast Tomatoes Stuffed with Shrimp

On the flip side (literally) of my cousins Jason & Thuy's surprisingly great Stir Fried Ginger Chicken recipe was one for Roast Tomatoes Stuffed with Shrimp. Whereas the chicken one was billed as Jason's favorite, this tomato one is Thuy's.

Either way, after the delightful surprise that was the Ginger Chicken, I was psyched to see how the tomatoes would turn out. I am not a fan of tomatoes when they are raw, but heat them a little and the world looks new. Plus, as a good New Englander, I like me some shellfish. So cooked tomatoes + shellfish? Sounds great. Right?

Eh. Not so much. Making this wasn't too challenging. Lop top off tomato, scoop out innards, mix with shrimp and sauce, stuff back in, roast. Pretty much a no brainer. Not that I didn't screw it up. Obviously I did. I mean, it's me. For example, I may have inadvertently discarded the innards before realizing they were supposed to be mixed with the shrimp. And maybe, just maybe, even though I roasted at the time and temp specified, something horrible happened and either the oil or the seeping tomato innards or the mixture of both or whatever was on the bottom of the pan burned to a terrifying crisp. Like so:

This cannot be what was supposed to happen

On the plus side, despite the char-of-death that coated the pan (Note to self: Maybe don't just trust the timer to tell you when things are done. Maybe checking in the oven is good, too.), the tomatoes unbelievably survived. A Christmas miracle, for sure. Unfortunately, despite their unlikely survival, it appears I didn't much enjoy them anyhow.

It wasn't a burnt taste - seriously, the tomatoes were 99% unharmed. I think I didn't really like the sauce. I think this because I had some extra shrimp/tomato/sauce left over after stuffing the tomatoes, so I (and by I, I obviously mean Josh) cooked them up on top of the stove, and I didn't much like it. The cayenne and Dijon and pepper I think made it somehow too peppery. And despite the total lack of butter, it seemed to induce in me that kind of gross-stomach feeling I get after gorging on too much buttery movie popcorn. Not that I don't like movie popcorn, I just feel fake-buttery-nasty after.

All this said, the salt and pepper involved is 'to taste,' so obviously part of this is my problem. Also, it should be pointed out that not only did Josh think the Roast Tomatoes were 'good,' but he actively loved them. And by that I mean, not only did he eat his, but then he ate mine, too. Fast.

Also, is this healthy? I think it is. I mean, it's a tiny bit of oil, egg yolk, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, tomatoes and shrimp. Despite the buttery feeling, it's actually quite good for you, I think. So what the hell do I know?

I still can't believe they survived that carnage

Thuy Le's Feels Sinful But I Guess Isn't Roast Tomatoes Stuffed With Shrimp

4 firm but ripe tomatoes (~ 6 oz ea)
3/4 lb fresh or frozen (thawed) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp minced rosemary (the only surviving herb from my garden!)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
[1 egg yolk]
[2 tsp Dijon mustard]
[1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh squozen)]
[salt (Kosher!) and pepper to taste]
[1/4 cup grapeseed (no) or canola (yes) oil (neutral oil)]

Preheat oven to 450 F. Cut a 1/4" slice from the smooth end of each tomato (reserve the slices). Wonder if by 'smooth end' she means the bottom? A side? Why not use the top with the woody bit? Because if you use that as the bottom of the stuffed tomato that is going to be more stable? Also, there is no way these tomatoes are going to be big enough. The vine ripe tomatoes @ the grocery were simply not huge. Oh boy.

Decide she means the bottom of the tomatoes. Slice them off and put aside. use a spoon to scoop out the insides, leaving a wall of 1/4" thick. Determine that your jagged-edge grapefruit spoons (gadgets!) are perfect for this. Give the tomato innards to your waiting dog, aka the tomato fiend.

Sprinkle insides with salt and pepper. Discard any portions of tomato that is too hard/woody - which you decide means the woody bit on the bottom, therefore leaving a tiny hole in the tomato bottoms - chopping the pulp and seeds with shrimp.

Oh shit. Did she say with the shrimp? Look into dog's bowl and repress urge to snag the last ounce of tomato seeds that have yet to be slurped up by Big. Debate the finer merits of just mixing the shrimp with the sauce and stuffing the tomato that way, when you realize you have some small tomatoes in the fridge that you can use for this purpose.

Peel shrimp. Chop shrimp. Wonder if you are supposed to pre-cook the shrimp, but decide not to because they will cook during roasting. Chop a few of said tiny tomatoes and mix.

Toss this mixture with the rest of the ingredients (except for the 2 tbsp of olive oil, and do prestir/pre-mix the bracketed ingredients). Realize you did not devein the shrimp. Oh thank God, they appear to have at least come deveined.

Stuff each tomato with the shrimp mixture and replace the top slices. Spread half the olive oil in a shallow roasting pan, place the tomatoes on the pan, drizzle the remaining oil on top. Roast for 30-40 minutes, at which point you discover that the oil (or something) has burned to bajeesus and back on the bottom of the pan. Oh crap. Miraculously salvage tomatoes. Serve piping hot. You can say that again, Thuy.