Baked Isle of Wight Tomato and Shallot Rice

• 1kg Isle of Wight Cherry Tomatoes
• 10 round shallots, peeled
• 1 bulb of garlic, broken into cloves and peeled
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Bunch of basil, stems chopped, leaves reserved
• 250g basmati rice
• 450ml hot vegetable stock or boiling water
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil

Preheat oven to 200⁰c

Soak the rice in cold water while you get on with preparing the vegetables.

Lay the tomatoes, shallots, whole garlic cloves and chopped basil stems in a roasting tin, then add the lemon zest and juice, season and drizzle with olive oil. Give it all a good stir. Bake uncovered for around 30 minutes until the tomatoes and shallots are soft and starting to brown.

Remove from the oven. Drain the rice and give it a good rinse in a sieve under running water and then pour it on top of the tomato and shallot mixture. Season and add the stock or boiling water and cover the tin with foil. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and let the dish rest for ten minutes.

Dress with torn basil leaves, drizzle with a little extra olive oil and serve.