Mish-Mash
Миш-маш
Bapche's Breakfasts & Popara Mornings
Six-thirty on a Tuesday, the cast-iron skillet is smoking, the sweet yellow onion hits the hot oil, you empty a full jar of roasted peppers into the heat, the tomatoes collapse, and dinner is twelve minutes away. Mish-mash is a frantic weeknight scramble, but the messy pan meal hinges entirely on patience and timing: letting the tomato water evaporate completely, and waiting until the absolute final second to fold in the cheese so it warms without dissolving. Scrape the eggs straight from the pan. Bring a heel of crusty bread; it is mandatory.
Before you start
Drain the peppers and tomatoes well.
Eliminating excess moisture from the jarred and canned goods ensures your Mish-Mash fries rather than boils, saving you precious reduction time on a weeknight.
Ingredients
- neutral oil2 tbsp
- unsalted butter1 tbsp
- yellow onion1 med
- jarred roasted red peppers14 oz
- canned diced tomatoes1 1/2 cup
- garlic1 large
- Bulgarian summer savory or dried oregano1/2 tsp
- eggs4 large
- Bulgarian sirene or sheep's milk feta in brine5 oz
- salt and freshly cracked black pepperto taste
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1 handful
Method
- 01
Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then sauté the onion until it melts into a sweet, translucent base.
Add the chopped roasted red peppers and garlic, cooking for another 3 minutes until fragrant and slightly caramelized.
- 02
Pour in the diced tomatoes, summer savory, and black pepper, letting the mixture simmer over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
This is the grandmother's secret. You must wait until the water from the tomatoes completely evaporates and the mixture turns into a thick, rich sauce. If you rush, the eggs will boil and the dish will turn watery.
- 03
Pour the lightly beaten eggs over the hot vegetable base, letting them veil for a few seconds before stirring with a gentle hand.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just cooked through but still moist and creamy, being careful not to overcook them into dry, hard curds.
- 04
Remove the skillet entirely from the heat, drop in the crumbled cheese, and fold it in a maximum of two or three times.
The residual heat will partially melt the edges, but you absolutely want visible, distinct chunks of cheese intact for bursts of salty tang.
- 05
Taste for salt, shower the pan generously with fresh parsley, and serve straight from the skillet with warm, crusty bread.
Notes
Do not use pre-crumbled, dry feta.
Pre-crumbled feta is coated in anti-caking agents and will not melt properly. You need a brine-packed block of Bulgarian sirene or sheep's milk feta crumbled by hand to get the authentic texture.