Читать книгу Feasts From the Middle East - Tony Kitous - Страница 10

This is a dish I had at a friend’s house on the outskirts of Beirut. We were totally spoilt there as his mum would cook four or five different dishes for breakfast every morning, and because she knew I loved this, she would always make it. It’s a big, open omelette, topped with tender chunks of aubergine, caramelised cherry tomatoes and bite-size cubes of halloumi – all seasoned with one of my favourite spice blends. If you want to get ahead with this to make it a really speedy dish to rustle up, you could cook the vegetables and cheese the day before and chill them. Just make sure you toss them in a pan to heat them through before topping the omelette.

AUBERGINE & HALLOUMI OMELETTE

BATENJAN WA HALLOUMI

SERVES 6

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

½ aubergine, chopped into 2cm cubes

za’atar, to season

100g cherry tomatoes, halved

75g halloumi, chopped

8 large eggs

salt and black pepper

fresh thyme, to serve

Heat the oven to 100°C/80°C fan/gas mark ¼ to keep the vegetables and halloumi warm while making the omelette.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and cook the aubergine over a low heat, tossing every now and then until golden. Season with za’atar and some salt and pepper. Spoon into a roasting tin. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and fry the tomatoes, cut-side down, until just golden and caramelised, but not squishy. Season in the same way as the aubergine and put in the tin.

Cook the halloumi in the pan, tossing it every now and then so that the cubes turn golden on each side and then season them, too. Spoon into the tin, then put the tin in the oven to keep warm.

Beat the eggs in a bowl and season well. Add a drizzle more oil to the pan and place over a low-to-medium heat. Pour in the beaten eggs.

As the egg starts to cook, draw a wooden spoon across the base of the pan to allow more of it to cook. It’ll wrinkle up and make a much thicker – and more delicious – omelette this way. Lower the heat if it cooks too quickly and continue until the egg is just set on top. Spoon the aubergine, tomatoes and halloumi on top, garnish with fresh thyme and more za’atar, and serve.