Strapatsada — also called kagianas — is the Greek summer dish of eggs scrambled into ripe tomato with olive oil, a way to use the August glut of tomatoes. Simple and sun-soaked, it is breakfast, meze or light supper.
Soft, glossy curds of egg are bound by a concentrated, jammy-sweet tomato sauce, with salty feta melting in pockets throughout. The olive oil gives it a fruity backbone. Wiped up with bread, it is a sunny, satisfying start to the day.
Reducing the tomato first concentrates its sugars and acidity so it doesn't water down the eggs. Adding eggs at the end and stirring over low heat keeps the proteins from over-coagulating, yielding a soft, custardy scramble.
Variations
Without feta, with green peppers, with a pinch of chili flakes, made looser as a saucier dish
On the Palate
Where Strapatsada sits in the Greek flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 3How it's made
8 steps · 10 min
- 15 min
Grate or finely chop ripe tomatoes, discarding tough cores.
- 22 min
Warm olive oil in a pan and add the tomato with a pinch of salt and sugar.
- 38 min
Simmer the tomato until most of the liquid evaporates and it thickens.
Watch outReduce the tomato until the liquid's cooked off and it looks jammy — watery sauce leaves the eggs runny.
- 42 min
Beat the eggs lightly with pepper.
- 51 min
Pour the eggs into the hot tomato sauce.
- 64 min
Stir gently over low heat until the eggs are softly set but still moist.
Watch outPull it off while the eggs still look moist and glossy — a beat too long and they go dry and grainy.
- 71 min
Crumble in feta and fold through.
Watch outFold the feta in off the heat so it softens but keeps its crumbles rather than melting away.
- 82 min
Serve immediately with crusty bread.
