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Bouyiourdi
Bouyiourdí: Thessaloniki's bubbling baked feta with tomato, peppers and chilli
Order a round of tsipouro in a Thessaloniki taverna and a little clay dish of bouyiourdi often arrives with it, still spitting from the oven. A slab of feta is buried under tomato, sweet and hot peppers, oregano and olive oil and baked until the cheese slumps and the edges catch. You scoop it straight from the dish with crusty bread. There's no alcohol in the dish itself; serve it with sparkling water and lemon instead of tsipouro if you like. Feta is usually made with animal rennet; a vegetarian feta-style cheese works well. Common mistake: using a big dish — the sauce spreads thin and burns, so pick one the cheese nearly fills. Chef's tip: wrap the dish in foil for the first 10 minutes so the feta turns creamy before the top browns.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan). Lay half the 2 ripe tomatoes slices in a small clay or ovenproof dish just big enough for the cheese.
Step 2: Set 7 oz feta on top, then cover with the rest of the tomato, ½ green pepper and 1 fresh hot green chilli.
Step 3: Scatter over 1 ⅜ oz kasseri or other mild melting cheese, ½ tsp chilli flakes and 1 tsp dried oregano and drizzle with 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
Step 4: Cover tightly with foil and bake for 10 minutes, then uncover and bake 8–10 minutes more, until bubbling hard at the sides and blistered on top.
20 minStep 5: Serve at once in the dish, with crusty bread (or gluten-free bread) for scooping up the oily, peppery juices.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bouyiourdi take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of feta?
- Goat's cheese or ricotta salata, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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