Greek scrambled eggs perfect Father’s Day dish
Strapatsada, at its simplest, is a three-ingredient affair: eggs, tomatoes and sharp, salty cheese.
“It’s village food,” says chef Theo A. Michaels, who included the recipe for the dish in his cookbook, Rustica: Delicious Recipes for Villagestyle Mediterranean Food.
“At its heart, this is Greek scrambled eggs.”
In his version — perfect for Father’s Day brunch — Michaels adds crunch with croûtons, freshness with a mix of green herbs and depth with a few spices. It’s satisfyingly filling as is, but you could add a few slices of cooked smoked sausage if you’re in the mood for meat, he suggests.
Michaels’ recipes are often influenced by his Greek Cypriot upbringing. The ripest, juiciest tomatoes you can get your hands on are the right choice for strapatsada.
“Like most of the Mediterranean, we get blessed with these incredible tomatoes. So that gets woven into this breakfast,” he says, adding that for the croûtons, ideally you would use rustic, crusty bread that’s gone stale, just on the edge of inedible. “It’s making use of everything.”
Directions:
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C/425°F. Step 2
To make the croûtons, put the cubed bread in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and toss with the olive oil. Tip onto a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for four minutes, until golden and crisp. Remove and let cool.
Step 3
Deseed the tomatoes and chop the flesh. Put the flesh in a strainer set over a bowl and let the juices run out.
Step 4
Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a saucepan and set over a medium heat. Add the green pepper and scallions and sauté for two minutes, then add the chili, garlic, cumin, paprika and oregano. After a further two minutes, add the drained tomatoes to the pan along with the sugar. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until the tomatoes have broken down, adding a splash of water if they start to dry out. When they are completely soft, turn down the heat and fold in half the feta cheese chunks and most of the fresh herbs, reserving some to garnish.
Step 5
Using the back of a spoon, make a few indents in the tomato sauce around the edge of the pan and pour in the eggs. Now, still using the back of a spoon, drag a line from the eggs through the tomato mixture which will fill up with the runny egg. Do this several times, gently and slowly, until the egg is just about set, then remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for a few minutes.
Step 6
To serve, gently slide your strapatsada onto a serving plate, scatter over the remaining feta cheese chunks, thinly sliced red onion and reserved herbs, and scatter over the croûtons.
Serves: 4