гювече

We have had food prepared in these pretty earthenware pots (гювече - gyuveche) in restaurants, and it has been very tasty. So, I decided to buy a small one to see if I could cook with it. I mentioned this at dinner last night - in the company of my student, her parents and seven other members of the family - and my student insisted that I must try her mother's recipe, and here it is. In layer order: one spoon of butter or oil; onion; one pepper; tomato and sirene - the slightly salty Bulgarian cheese which is a little like feta, but firmer - which is crumbled on top, and an egg is broken into a well formed in the cheese. Oh, and I decided to add some savory and basil. Bake at the oven max for 20-30 mins and, well, this very minute it's ready! 

And the verdict? Well, when buying an earthenware pot from a souvenir shop - particularly for £3 - I did wonder if it was really meant for cooking with, and might simply crack in a hot oven. But it didn't and what came out is very tasty indeed, although the peppers aren't as well cooked as I like. [See extra]

Earlier I'd visited a company which I'd found out about via one of our students (from the Netherlands!) and had an chat for an hour or so about what they do and the scope for them taking one of our students for a masters dissertation project. All very pleasant and interesting, and, no, this doesn't mean I can claim the whole trip on expenses!