oeuf mayo vs. oeuf tarator
what if we replace the mayo with the famous tahina sauce called tarator
welcome to COOKING THE MED
You are here with me Merijn Tol, food writer, cookbook author and cook from Amsterdam, but my heart is beating for the Med. If you too love food from the Mediterranean, from east to west from Palermo to Beirut, you came to the right place! Be at home in Café Mazahar’s COOKING THE MED. I serve you my Mediterranean recipes with a twist.
Cafe Mazahar is the name of one of my latest cookbooks, and my travelling popup.
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Yalla let’s go to this week’s recipe….
I’m Oeuf Tarator, pleased to meet you
I will keep it short today. It is a busy weekend and i guess probably for you too (Easter brunches? Ramadan iftars?). I’m starting to prepare for a lovely Easter brunch with friends. With eggs. Of course. And i have got some wild inspiration for you. If you are looking for a simple but surprising egg dish. And you are i think!
This green oeuf mayo party was at Easter two years ago, it was lovely weather and we did a picknick outside, it was so good, i can still taste them.
Oeuf mayo with ramson mayo (the wild garlic that grows everywhere in parks these days) anchovies and ramson oil.
But this year it’s a whole different story. Surprising and satisfying, and easier as there no mayonaise involved, but i promise you will have the same luxurious creaminess. That’s what we want. How? I’m calling it Oeuf Tarator.
Oeuf Tarator?
Tarator might be little known here: it’s a star in the Middle East and Eastern Europe (though their versions differ a lot). Today I focus on the Middle Eastern one. You will know it from your falafel sandwich: that luscious tahina sauce!
It’s basically a good white tahina stirred loose with lemon juice, water and salt. Sometimes chopped parsley is added and a pinch of garlic. You get a super velvety creamy nutty sauce: classic with falafel but equally great with grilled fish, grilled meat, as a dip and so on and on and on.
Oops it happened
Sometimes when you stir the tahina loose it thickens so much you get a kind of cement or glue. Don’t worry! Just add a splash of water: i always use cold water to make tarator, and it will be all right. If it’s too thin just add a bit more tahina. Add enough salt it should be well seasoned.
This version is extra special and festive and the try out you see here was so good. Will repeat it again in two days.
Oeuf Tarator party
serves 4
4 extra fresh eggs
100 g almonds
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