Hairy Bikers Stuffed Marrow Recipe

Hairy Bikers stuffed marrow is a whole marrow, halved and hollowed, then packed with beef mince, tomato, garlic, thyme and two cheeses. At 6 portions, each is about 500 calories as I tot it up, and this Mums Still Know Best recipe takes 2 hours.

According to Avis Davies from Wales, it was “her first taste of Mediterranean ingredients, like garlic and tomato paste”. Then three beaten eggs go into the mince with Parmesan and Pecorino, and in my kitchen that helps it hold together when sliced.

The marrow halves sit in just-boiled water, with the heat switched off, the whole time you make the filling. Because of that head start, the shells turn tender in the 50 minutes of baking, and I find the filling doesn’t dry out.

Hairy Bikers Stuffed Marrow Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:British Maltese Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time:1 hour 30 minutesRest time: 10 minutesTotal time:2 hours Servings:6 servingsCalories:500 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Two marrow halves are filled with a mince and tomato sauce bound with egg and cheese, then closed together and baked in foil. Once you open the foil for the last 5 minutes at a higher heat, the cheese on top crisps and browns.

Ingredients

For the marrow

• 1 medium marrow, cut in half
• olive oil, for brushing

For the filling

• 5 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, roughly chopped
• 500g beef mince
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp sundried tomato paste
• 450g fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 x 400g can of tomatoes
• 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, plus extra to serve
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 75g Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve
• 75g Pecorino, grated
• salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Soften the marrow: Bring a pan of lightly salted water, large enough for the marrow, to the boil. Then scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp and throw them away, and scoop about 120g of flesh from the sides to keep. Put the marrow halves in the water, turn off the heat and leave them there until needed.
2. Start the sauce: Crush the garlic and thyme in a pestle and mortar with salt and pepper, and chop the reserved marrow flesh. Heat the 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan and fry the onions, garlic and thyme until soft.
3. Brown the mince: Add the mince and cook for about 10 minutes until nicely browned. Stir in the tomato purée and sundried tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes more.
4. Simmer: Stir in the tomatoes, chopped marrow and parsley and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the eggs and cheese: Take the sauce off the heat and let it cool slightly before stirring in the eggs, or they’ll scramble. Add half the Parmesan and Pecorino, stir well and return to a low heat for 5 minutes.
6. Fill the marrow: Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4 and line a baking tin with enough foil to wrap the marrow. Lift the halves from the water into the tin and spoon in the sauce until they’re full.
7. Close it up: Put the halves gently together, brush the skin with olive oil and scatter over the rest of the cheese. Wrap the foil around the marrow, leaving a gap at the top.
8. Bake and rest: Bake for about 45 minutes, then turn up to 200°C/Gas 6 and open the foil for 5 more minutes so the top browns. Leave it for 10 minutes, then serve with extra parsley and Parmesan.

FAQs

Is there a Hairy Bikers stuffed marrow with cheese sauce?

Yes, an Italian-style one on BBC Food, listed under their Best of British, hides sausagemeat under a Parmesan cheese sauce and torn mozzarella. For its filling, 12 skinned Italian-style sausages simmer with red wine, cherry tomatoes, chilli flakes and oregano.

Both halves are sandwiched back together, wrapped in foil and baked at 190°C for 1 to 1¼ hours, and it serves 6. As with their cauliflower cheese sauce, it starts with butter, flour and milk, though Parmesan goes in here instead of Cheddar or Gruyère.

Where does Arabali bill mimli come from?

Arabali bill mimli is the family’s name for a dish based on a recipe Avis’s children’s grandmother picked up in Malta. And Avis likes to serve it in summer, when marrows are plentiful.

In Posh Food, a Mums Know Best episode from 22 March 2011, three mums in Wales share a Maltese stuffed marrow, cheesecake and orchid gateau. Since all three appear in Mums Still Know Best, I’m fairly confident this is that marrow.

Do I need to peel fresh tomatoes?

Only if you go fresh, because Si and Dave allow a 400g can of tomatoes instead of the 450g fresh, which skips the job entirely.

When I do use fresh, I score a cross in each one and cover them with just-boiled water for about 30 seconds. Once they’re cool enough to handle, the skins slip straight off.

Can I make it vegetarian or in a slow cooker?

Both stuffed marrows I’ve found from them use meat, so for vegetarians I’d point to the couscous-stuffed peppers in Veggie Feasts. As for slow cookers, a whole marrow won’t fit most of them, so the oven it is.

If you grow your own, marrows are courgettes left to grow on, so their courgette fritters suit any you pick small.

What goes with it, and does it keep?

Si and Dave reckon it serves 4 to 6, finished with extra parsley and Parmesan, and I like a sharp green salad alongside.

For another bake of mince under cheese, I’d turn to their moussaka, with spiced lamb and aubergine beneath a Parmesan béchamel. Once the leftovers have cooled quickly, get them into the fridge within 2 hours, then eat them within 2 days, reheated until piping hot.