Dukkah rolled poached egg with haloumi

Hello everyone, I am so glad to get to the end of this week. We had our annual audit at work this week and it was a very testing and rigorous time! The auditors had me jumping all week. I think we have done well though as everything seemed to match up. It is very good to have these last five days behind me.

I am also convinced that Spring is around the corner with the lovely sunshiny blue sky days we have been having (most days) so that makes me feel much happier.

Today I went to see the most beautiful exhibition of Japanese art from the Art Deco period with my friend Aviva, who is the best eating and shopping companion you could want. The art was absolutely stunning and I wanted to acquire nearly all the pictures and scrolls. I had to satisfy myself with a card displaying one of the pictures from the exhibition instead.

Now this week's recipe is (I think) quite unusual. It is written by my equal favourite cooking writer, Matthew Evans, and comes from one of his columns in the Good Weekend sometime. I have often looked at the recipe and thought I'd try it one day and last night I did. I have to say it was nicer than I had anticipated. There was one drawback: it requires bastourma, a Middle Eastern air dried beef, of which I was hoping I could buy a few slices, but had to buy a packet containing about 50 slices so I'll be eating bastourma till Christmas (I have put packages in the freezer). It also uses dukkah and I thought I'd make my own, which was very easy but again I ended up with enough to keep me going for a very long time. But, it was a quick and easy dish to make, very unusual and very yummy so I thought a good one to share.

Have a happy week, love from Jane xx

Dukkah rolled poached egg with haloumi

Serves two (or four as an entree)

What you need:

• 8 slices haloumi cheese
• Olive oil
• 2 tablespoons or thereabouts of dukkah
• 4 large eggs
• 12 slices bastourma (buy from a Middle Eastern deli)

What you do:

1. Arrange the slices of bastourma on serving plates.
2. Bring water to a simmer for the poached eggs.
3. Just before it reaches that point, heat a non stick pan and add some olive oil.
4. Lightly fry the slices of haloumi on both sides until golden.
5. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
6. When the water is simmering, gently drop in the eggs and poach.
7. When the eggs are cooked, lift them out of the water with a slotted spoon and carefully roll in the dukkah (this is surprisingly easy).
8. Lay the slices of haloumi on the bastourma and place the poached eggs on top of the haloumi to serve.