Colm O'Gorman: Spinach and feta waffles are the centre of this big brunch

The weather appears to have turned and the sun is out at last! Time to get out in the garden, for walks on the beach, for barbecues and lazy weekend brunches with friends.

With that in mind, I have a lovely new brunch recipe for you this week. 

These savoury waffles are a delight; crisp golden waffles studded with feta cheese and spinach, served with a fried egg on top, a creamy avocado dressing, roast tomatoes and finished with more feta cheese, fresh chopped parsley, pomegranate seeds and dukkha.

You will need a waffle iron to make waffles, but if you do not have one, this batter also makes lovely pancakes which work beautifully with the other elements of this recipe.

If you are unfamiliar with dukkah, then this recipe may get you hooked on this gorgeous Middle Eastern condiment. It is made from roasted nuts and seeds, herbs, and warm spices, and is served as a dip with olive oil, or as a condiment. 

You can find it in larger supermarkets, but it is also very easy to make at home. If you fancy making your own, you will find a recipe for a simple dukkah on my Instagram page.

Spinach and Feta Waffles with Fried Eggs, Roasted Tomatoes, Avocado Cream and Dukkah

recipe by:Colm O'Gorman

These waffles are a delight; crisp golden waffles studded with feta cheese and spinach, served with a fried egg on top, a creamy avocado dressing, roast tomatoes and finished with more feta cheese, fresh chopped parsley, pomegranate seeds and dukkha.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• Waffles:

• 100g fresh baby spinach leaves

• 200g feta cheese

• 80g butter

• 225g plain flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 eggs

• 150ml buttermilk

• 200ml milk

• Toppings:

• 200g cherry tomatoes

• Drizzle of honey and olive oil

• A few sprigs of thyme

• 2 avocados

• 60ml creamy Greek yogurt

• Juice of a lime

• A little salt

• 4 eggs

• 6 tbsp Dukkha

• Handful of fresh flat leaf parsley

• Pomegranate seeds

Method

1. Wash the spinach and pop it into a saucepan of boiling water. Stir, and let it sit in the hot water for about two to three minutes. Drain the blanched spinach into a colander and refresh under cold running water to stop it from overcooking and to ensure it retains its colour. Squeeze out any excess liquid, making sure to remove as much water as possible. You will end up with a small fistful of cooked spinach. Chop the the spinach and set aside for now. Chop 100g of the feta cheese, setting aside the reminder which you will use when serving up the final dish.

2. Melt the butter, I do this in my microwave, and then allow it to cool a little. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.

3. Separate the eggs. Put the yolks into a bowl along with the milk and the buttermilk and whisk to combine. Add the melted butter and stir that in.

4. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and whisk gently until everything is just combined, taking care not to overmix or your batter will be tough when cooked.

5. Next, use an electric whisk to whip the egg whites into foamy, stiff peaks. Add half the whisked egg whites to the batter and gently fold that through. Folding is a technique that incorporates the air in the egg whites into the waffle batter to make it light and airy. Use a flexible spatula with a wide base to add half of the whisked egg whites to the batter, placing it in on top of the batter. Get the spatula in under the batter and scoop some up, folding it over the egg whites. Repeat this until the egg whites are well combined, using slow folding motions. Take your time and do not stir the batter or you will knock the air out of the egg whites. Once you have folded in half of the egg white, repeat with the remaining half. A little patience is required, but this will only take a few minutes and doing it properly makes the world of difference.

6. Next, fold in the chopped spinach and feta, and let the batter rest for twenty to thirty minutes.

7. Make the avocado cream. Put the flesh of two avocados, 60ml of creamy Greek yoghurt and the juice of a lime into a food processor and blitz to a smooth cream. Season with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and set aside.

8. Wash the tomatoes and put them in a small roasting dish. Toss the in a little olive oil, a drizzle honey, some salt and black pepper, and the leaves from a few springs of fresh thyme. Roast the tomatoes at 180c in an air fryer or preheated oven until they are soft and just beginning to blister, about fifteen to twenty minutes should do it, depending upon the size of the tomatoes.

9. Preheat your waffle iron. When the tomatoes have about ten minutes left to go, you can begin to cook the waffles. Use a silicon brush to oil the plates of your waffle iron, coating it well to ensure that the waffles do not stick. Spoon some of the batter onto each section of the waffle iron plate; the amount you need to add will depend upon the size of the waffle iron you are using. Take care not to overfull as if you do, the excess batter will simply spill out of the iron as it cooks and make a mess. A small ladle of batter per waffle is enough for most models of waffle iron.

10. Cook as per the instructions for your machine, for most waffle irons five minutes will give you crisp and golden waffles. Use a silicon spatula to remove the waffles, keeping them warm as you cook the next batch.

11. While the last batch are cooking, fry an egg per person. Serve the waffles on warm plates with a fried egg sitting on top, a generous amount of avocado cream and the roast tomatoes. Cromble the remaining feta cheese over each plate and then finish with a scattering of dukkha, roughly chopped flat leaf parsley and some pomegranate seeds.