Middle Eastern Stuffed Potatoes (Batata Mahshi)

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
2. Prepare the potatoes: Wash and peel them. Using an apple corer or melon baller, hollow out the potatoes, leaving a thin shell and cutting a small base so they can stand upright.
3. Season the potatoes: Brush them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile prepare the filling.

The filling

1. In a small pan, sauté the chopped onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until softened. Let it cool.
2. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, grated garlic (2 cloves), 2 tablespoons of passata, chopped parsley, rice, salt, and pepper. Add the cooled sautéed onions and mix well by hand until thoroughly combined.
3. Stuff the potatoes: Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool slightly. Fill them three-quarters full with the meat mixture to allow room for the rice to expand while cooking.

Assemble the dish

1. Grease a baking dish with softened butter.
2. Arrange the stuffed potatoes upright in the dish and scatter the remaining whole garlic cloves between them.

Prepare the sauce

1. In a jug, combine the remaining passata, dried mint, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir well.
2. Pour the sauce over the stuffed potatoes.
3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45-50 minutes.
4. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened.
5. Serve hot straight out of the oven with a simple arugula salad (dressed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice).

Notes:

1. Be careful not to overfill the potatoes, as the rice will expand while cooking.
2. For a richer flavor, substitute part of the passata with beef or chicken stock.
3. You can also use lamb instead of beef for a more traditional Middle Eastern taste.