AI-generated image
Bouyiourdi
Baked feta with tomato and chilli
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
- 7 oz fetaone block, about 2 cm thick; vegetarian feta-style if needed
- 2 ripe tomatoesthinly sliced
- ½ green pepperthin rings
- 1 fresh hot green chillisliced
- 1 ⅜ oz kasseri or other mild melting cheesegrated; or a vegetarian melting cheese
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (3)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
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).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Taiwanese grilled corn
At Raohe and Shilin night markets the grilled-corn stalls are easy to find: look for the queue and the smoky, sweet smell. Cobs are par-cooked, then turned slowly over charcoal while the cook brushes them with a dark glaze of sacha sauce, thick soy paste, garlic and chilli, layer after layer, until the kernels are sticky, slightly charred and deeply savoury. It is eaten hot from a paper sleeve while walking the market. Sacha (shacha) sauce, a Taiwanese barbecue paste, usually contains dried fish and shrimp; vegetarian sacha is sold in Asian shops. Contains soy, wheat and fish. Chef's tip: brush thin coats and turn often; one thick coat burns before the corn chars.
Taiwanese
Masala khakhraCrisp roasted wheat crackers
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.
Indian
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.