POACHED EGGS WITH ROASTED TOMATO AND HALOUMI
Yields 4 servings
This protein-packed dish is one of our favorite breakfasts! Haloumi is a slightly salty, savory cheese made from goat’s or sheep’s milk. It is super flavorful—imagine a marriage between feta and mozzarella—and makes for a great vegetarian alternative to ham or sausage. Don’t be too concerned about using in-season tomatoes, because their flavors will concentrate as they cook in the oven. The tomatoes can also be made ahead of time and reheated.
4 plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
5 thyme sprigs, stems removed
1 (8-ounce) package haloumi cheese
¼ cup Salsa Verde
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Wash the plum tomatoes and cut in half lengthwise.
Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, on a baking rack over a baking sheet to catch any juices.
Drizzle the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt. Finish by picking fresh thyme leaves, spreading them over all the tomatoes.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the edges of the tomatoes begin to caramelize.
Cut the haloumi crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil (or a little less if your pan is nonstick) in a cast-iron pan over high heat until very hot.
Sear the cheese until golden in color on both sides, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side, and transfer to a plate.
For each serving, begin by placing 2 oven-roasted tomatoes side by side on a plate. Place a slice of seared haloumi on each tomato, followed by a poached egg. Spoon a tablespoon of the salsa verde onto each egg, being sure to give the salsa a quick mix if need be before ladling it onto the egg.
We serve a slice of sourdough, toasted with a little olive oil, alongside this dish at Jack’s Wife Freda, but any version of your favorite bread will do.
