Feta Gyuvech

 

Halcyon Spring days are a boon, following earnest trials of potting Summer Savory and transplanting cohorts of Cardoons I retired to ponder the 1969 edition of the 'Northumbria W.I Cookbook' a must read, I tell you, and whilst dreaming of the ladies of Hexham, a visage of flouncing tweed skirts flitting like papillions as they cycle home from vespas, and oh how I imagine their 'Singing Hinnies' on the griddle as dutifully they warm something up for Sirs supper. I sip ginger beer and have this rather lovely lunch: baked feta, tomatoes, butter, with a baked egg on top, simple as that, 'Feta Gyuvech'. Bulgarian apparently, very tasty though with a runny egg mingling with cheese, tomatoes and butter. I could go to work and pull a plough on that, I thought then I considered, one may go to work and an oik would pull the plough. In Bulgaria they could probably pull a cart, but I digress.

Method chop some toms up add a slice of butter cover with feta, repeat. Bake for half an hour or so, put an egg on top, turn off the oven and leave for fifteen minutes and enjoy.

So the man on 'You Tube' made this in lovely earthenware painted pots and that is a 'gyuvech'*, not having one I just did it in a pyrex dish. He didn't show the final outcome on video but you can't I suppose one can't with such a small pot. Then whilst writing this I looked at google images and found that a lovely pot my late Mum had was one such, I suppose she must have brought it back during the cold war following a spying mission, there were so many mementos. I keep dried chillies in it.

Look at the picture of my pot and imagine the inside filled with layers of toms, feta, and then a baked egg, handed to you with a small wooden spoon. I think you might be quiet for a while. 

I recommend keeping an eye out for such pots as you peruse charity shops, and should one find one in such an emporium of serendipity, attempt a valiant whistle to the tune of the Antiques Roadshow in celebration.

*Gyuvech is a traditional Bulgarian lidded pot for the oven, used to prepare the tasty dish "Gyuvech" - baked meat and vegetable stew. this cooking method enables full exposure of flavours and it further keeps the nutritious content of foods intact.