Stuffed Baby Marrows

Ingredients

• 1.18 baby marrows (zucchini), medium size, as straight as possible
• 2.2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 3.1 garlic
• 4.salt and pepper, to taste
• 5.rice, uncooked
• 6.250 gram beef mince, approx ½ lb / 250 ml
• 7.0.5 teaspoon salt, for filling
• 8.black pepper, generous dash
• 9.250 ml water
• 10.tomato puree, see uncertainty note
• 11.sugar, pinch

Method

1. 1.When buying the baby marrows, choose a medium size. See that they are as straight as possible.
2. 2.Remove the marrows from the fridge at least 2–3 hours before use, otherwise they will be too crisp and will break whilst cleaning them.
3. 3.Wash and dry the baby marrows. Cut off the stalk end and carefully scoop out the pulpy centres. Discard the pulp. Trim off the blossom ends.
4. 4.Set aside — can be prepared the day before if pressed for time. Cover well and refrigerate.
5. 5.In a large pot, gently fry the onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
6. 6.Mix the uncooked rice, minced meat, salt and pepper. Stuff the cleaned marrows with this mixture.
7. 7.Stuff only ½ way as the rice will swell.
8. 8.Place in the pot with the fried onions and garlic.
9. 9.Cover with the water, tomato puree and sugar.
10. 10.Simmer gently, lid on, for at least 3 hours.
11. 11.Add more liquid (water and tomato puree) if necessary.
12. 12.The marrows should be very tender without having broken and the gravy thickened, when ready.

Notes

• The metric equivalents for rice and tomato puree in the original appear inconsistent: '½ cup uncooked rice — 63ml' (½ cup should be ~125ml; 63ml ≈ ¼ cup) and '1 cup tomato puree — 63ml' (1 cup should be ~250ml). These may be typographical errors in the original. See uncertainties.