I like my scrambled eggs just set. Holding its shape and all the watery bits cooked out, but with soft, large, barely-set curds. They cook in under a minute and you need a non-stick pan for the job (kudos if you’ve managed to do this in cast-iron; they come out like rubbery pucks in mine).

Greek scrambled eggs (aka Strapatsada) are eggs cooked with feta and chilli flakes in a reduced tomato sauce, and topped with oregano, more crumbled feta, and a good drizzle of olive oil. (I think normally another local salty cheese would be used in place of feta.) Eggs, feta and chilli flakes are lightly whisked in a bowl just to incorporate the cheese and break up the yolks. Poured into a pan with the tomato sauce, you scramble them in the same fashion as eggs – for a few seconds untouched and then pull a rubber spatula across the pan to form soft loose curds. Repeat until the eggs and cheese are still wobbly and barely set.

The addition of feta changes the texture of the eggs completely though – the salty cheese is here for both flavour and texture. Feta—unlike stretchy cheeses like mozzarella—doesn’t melt as quickly or as easily. But in the time that it takes to cook the eggs in the pan, and because the feta crumbles are quite small, it does melt through just enough to give the dish a really smooth velvety creaminess. These are the most decadent scrambled eggs I’ve ever eaten.

The tomato sauce couldn’t be simpler: grate a few fresh tomatoes and discard the skins that get left behind. No blanching and peeling necessary. Add the tomato pulp, juice, the lot, into the same pan you’re going to be cooking your eggs in. Pour in a good glug of olive oil and reduce the tomatoes down to a thick concentrated paste with no residual moisture. Pour in the egg-cheese mixture and cook.

With the amount of feta that’s gone into this dish, it’s admittedly not your standard toast-and-scrambled egg breakfast. Indulgent no doubt, but if you’re someone that prefers a lighter meal to start the day, this dish would also make for a great brunch/lunch situation with a simple salad and good crusty bread. Also! I (very conveniently) use exactly half a packet of feta here, which gives you the best excuse to pull out the remaining and make it again a couple days later. See what I mean when I say I plan ahead?

GREEK SCRAMBLED EGGS

Servings: 3 people

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 4 large tomatoes
  • 100 grams feta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more to top
  • 2 teaspoons chilli flakes
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

Instructions

  • Grate the tomatoes into a bowl and discard the skins. Add the tomatoes and olive oil to a non-stick pan. Cook on high until the tomatoes thicken and reduce to a thick paste. Don't add salt. The feta is salty enough. You want most of the water from the tomatoes to have evaporated before you add the eggs.
  • Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add chilli flakes and crumble in 75 grams of feta with your fingers. Whisk to break up the yolks and combine the eggs and feta.
  • After the tomato sauce has reduced, turn the heat down to medium. Pour in the egg and feta mixture. Let them cook for a few seconds without stirring, then pull a rubber spatula across the bottom of the pan to form soft loose curds.
  • Repeat, making sure they don't brown. They will continue to cook slightly with the residual heat in the pan. Keep an eye out and take off the heat when the eggs are still slightly under.
  • Transfer to your serving dish. Top with a good drizzle of olive oil, oregano, and crumble over the remaining feta.

Notes

Inspired by Georgina Hayden

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