Fresh juicy vegetables in a piquant sauce, with chunks of salty, rubbery halloumi cheese.
Breakfast is a big deal in Turkey. It usually consists of a selection of many different foods which vary depending on what region you are in. At the core though, you can usually expect fresh crunchy vegetables like cucumber and tomato, eggs, cheeses, sometimes cured meats, bread and condiments. This is quite a pared back version which provides plenty for 4-6 people. Feeding lots of people is part of the point though - it's not just about the meal, it's about sharing and talking as well. It makes a great, social weekend brunch.
Ingredients
4 eggs
250g halloumi, sliced thickly into 8 pieces
250g yogurt
400g tomatoes, roughly chopped
400g cucumber, sliced
For the zhoug:
1 bunch parsley
½ bunch coriander
2 green chillies
2 cloves garlic
200ml olive oil
Pinch of sugar
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp cardamom
WEIGHT CONVERTER
grams
to
cups
Method
To make the zhoug blitz all the ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped, adding water to get the consistency of a loose pesto. Season to taste.
Bring a pan of water to a rolling boil. Add the eggs and cook for 6 mins for soft boiled. Immediately plunge in cool water and peel.
Bring a griddle pan to a high heat. Add the halloumi and fry on each side for 2 mins, until golden and slightly charred.
Swirl the zhoug into the yogurt and spoon onto plates. Top with the tomatoes, cucumber and halloumi.
Top tips for this Turkish-style breakfast
Look for strained, thick yogurt for the most authentic texture and flavour. If you're serving up to a crowd, bulk this up with a selection of breads, spreads and jam and honey, plus some fresh fruit.
Octavia Lillywhite is an award-winning food and lifestyle journalist with over 15 years of experience. With a passion for creating beautiful, tasty family meals that don’t use hundreds of ingredients or anything you have to source from obscure websites, she’s a champion of local and seasonal foods, using up leftovers and composting, which, she maintains, is probably the most important thing we all can do to protect the environment.
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