Recipe: Sweet Potato, Roast Pepper and Feta Tortilla

The lush Georgian Walled Garden at Fife’s Cambo Estate has become something of an edible playground for Gillian Veal. For our Food Feature in the August magazine, we talk to owner and chef at The Parlour Café in Dundee and the Café at Cambo Gardens in Fife, Gillian about her love of fresh produce.

Here she shares the recipe for her Sweet Potato, Roast Pepper and Feta Tortilla.

‘This is brilliant for brunch, but also great for a weekday lunch or light supper. And because it slices so conveniently into wedges, it makes perfect picnic food too. I like to serve this with a crisp green salad and some Greek yoghurt and fresh mint on the side. Oh, and a squeeze of lemon,’ Gillian said. 

Serves 4

1 red pepper

2 large sweet potatoes (approx. 550g), peeled

5 tbsp oil

1 white onion, finely chopped

8 eggs

2 sprigs of thyme

100g feta

salt and freshly ground black pepper

25cm frying pan, preferably non-stick, that can go into the oven

Gillian Veal.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan).

First roast the pepper: either put it in the oven until the skin is charred all over (about 45 minutes) or place under a hot grill and keep turning as the uppermost side blackens (which is quicker, but takes a bit more effort). Either way, once done, put the pepper in a bowl and cover with cling film.

When cool, the skin should peel off easily, then remove the stalk and seeds and cut the pepper into strips. While the pepper is roasting, cut the sweet potatoes into quarters lengthways before slicing them across the way into thin slices about 3–5mm thick.

Put the frying pan on a high heat and let it get really hot, then add 2 tablespoons of the oil and the sliced potato and chopped onion. Keep stirring until you get the heat through everything, then turn the heat to medium, cover and continue cooking, stirring every once in a while, until everything is soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. You may need to turn the heat down as the sweet potato cooks to stop it burning.

Beat the eggs with about a teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl. Add the hot potatoes and the leaves from one of the thyme sprigs and stir together gently. Meanwhile, wipe out the pan and put it back on a high heat with the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil.

Once really hot, pour the potato, egg and thyme mixture back into the pan and give it a good shake to settle. Using a flat-edged wooden spatula, stir from the middle out until the mix is almost cooked but still slightly runny.

Remove from the heat. Arrange the strips of roasted red pepper artfully over the tortilla, then crumble the feta and the leaves from the remaining sprig of thyme on top. Put the whole thing into the oven for 15 minutes or so – it’s ready when it’s tinged with golden brown and is firm to the touch.