Baked Tomatoes Stuffed with Salmon, Garlic and Capers

Baked Tomatoes Stuffed with Salmon, Garlic and Capers

1 tablespoon capers, preferably packed in salt

1 pound salmon

3 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

1 teaspoon very finely chopped garlic

2 tablespoons fine, dry, unflavored bread crumbs

salt

black pepper ground fresh

2 large ripe, firm tomatoes, weighing approximately 3/4 pound each

Drain the capers if packed in vinegar; soak, rinse and drain if packed in salt, then chop them fine. Turn the oven on to 400F. Remove the salmon’s skin, any loose membranes and carefully pick out all bones. Cut the fish into very small dice and put in a bowl together with 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil, the chopped parsley, garlic, capers, 1 tablespoon of bread crumbs, salt and several grindings of black pepper. Toss thoroughly. Wash the tomatoes, cut them horizontally in half, scoop out all the seeds and the centers to make a cup like hollow. Pat the inside of the tomatoes with paper towels to soak up excess juice, then stuff them with the salmon mixture, pressing it down lightly as you do so. There should be enough to form a mound. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining bread crumbs and drizzle with remaining olive oil, holding back a few drops of the latter to smear the bottom of a baking pan. Place the tomatoes on the baking pan and bake in the upper level of the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the salmon stuffing has formed a light golden crust. Serve not piping hot, but lukewarm. They are also good later, at room temperature, but not reheated. Serves 4.