Karl’s Tapas: Tomates Rellenos de Gambas y Jamón Serrano (Tomatoes Stuffed with Shrimp and Serano Ham)

I am making a Spanish tapas dinner for this Sunday. For many of the tapas I was making I at least tried to follow the recipes I was using. For this one, however, I decided that I did not like what I saw at all. Instead, I had ingredients that I had bought for other tapas and though, “Hey, this would go with that.” I am sure that somewhere in Spain they make something similar to this tapas, but I could not find it on-line.

Karl’s Tapas
Tomates Rellenos de Gambas y Jamón Serrano
Tomatoes Stuffed with Shrimp and Serano Ham

Karl’s Tapas: Tomates Rellenos de Gambas y Jamón Serrano (Tomatoes Stuffed with Shrimp and Serano Ham)

Ingredients

1 small vine tomato per person (5)

Filling

½ cup raw shrimp, minced
½ cup Serrano ham, minced
1 Tbs. capers, minced
1 Tbs. flat-leafed parsley minced
1 Tbs. Semi-sweet Spanish sherry (Oloroso)
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. Kosher salt

2 Tbs. flat-leafed parsley, coarsely chopped.

Directions

1. Cut the top off of each tomato.

Tip: On the stem end of the tomato, cut off the top ¼ inch.

2. Use a knife to cut down through the center of the tomato and scrap out the seeds and the rest of the heart of the tomato.

Tip: Be careful not to poke the knife through the skin.

Note: You are trying to hollow out the tomato to make a bowl with most of the outside flesh intact.

3. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl.

Note: I stuffed five tomatoes with this recipe. If you are making this for more add more shrimp and ham.

4. Stuff the filling into each tomato.

Note: At this point, you can put the tomatoes on a plate and place them into the refrigerator for 3-4 hours. This is very convenient if you are making several tapas that need to baked at the last minute.

5. Thirty minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 450º  F.

6. Bake the tomatoes for 15-20, until cooked through.

Tip: You can bake several different tapas at the same time, so that they all come out of the oven together.

7. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.