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Sfougato
Courgette and cheese oven omelette
Sfougato: Cycladic oven omelette of courgettes, spring onions, mint and cheese
Sfougato means 'sponge', which is just how this island oven omelette looks when it comes out puffed and golden; in the Cyclades and the Dodecanese it's the summer answer to too many courgettes. Grated courgette, spring onion and mint are softened in olive oil, mixed with eggs and cheese and baked, then cut into squares for lunch with bread and tomatoes or packed for a day at the beach. Kefalotyri and feta are usually made with animal rennet, so use vegetarian versions if you need to. Common mistake: leaving the courgettes wet, which gives a watery, rubbery omelette. Chef's tip: let the softened vegetables cool for a few minutes before adding the eggs so they don't scramble at the edges.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb courgettescoarsely grated
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 6 spring onionssliced
- ⅓ oz fresh mintchopped
- 6 eggs
- 5 ½ oz fetacrumbled; vegetarian feta if needed
- 1 ¾ oz kefalotyri or vegetarian hard cheesegrated
- ½ tsp black pepper
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Toss 1 ⅓ lb courgettes with 1 tsp salt in a colander, leave for 15 minutes, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
15 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). Oil a 22 cm ovenproof dish with a little of 1 tbsp olive oil.
Step 3: Warm the rest of 3 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook 6 spring onions for 3 minutes. Add the courgettes and cook for 6–8 minutes, until soft and dry. Stir in ⅓ oz fresh mint and cool for 5 minutes.
11 minStep 4: Beat 6 eggs with ½ tsp black pepper, then stir in the vegetables, 5 ½ oz feta and half the ⅞ oz kefalotyri or vegetarian hard cheese.
Step 5: Pour into the dish, scatter over the rest of ⅞ oz kefalotyri or vegetarian hard cheese and bake for 25–30 minutes, until puffed and golden and a knife in the centre comes out clean.
30 minStep 6: Rest for 5 minutes and cut into squares. Good warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sfougato take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 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.
- What can I use instead of courgettes?
- Cucumber, same weight (raw dishes only).
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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