Friday Food – 6

A simple meal accompaniment today, but first off, you have to get something out of sight, mind, smell or whatever: do not even think of takeaway kebabs for a while. It will harm the appreciation of one of the quickest and easiest prepared breads known to humankind.

That is the pitta bread, which exists beyond the world of the greasy, over seasoned, over sauced, late night kebab. This weekend is a curry weekend on Zelo Street, so pittas will feature strongly. They can also feature with any kind of chilli or spicy bean feast, stand in for spag to accompany the bol, and go with a Chinese instead of rice (especially if you’re not feeling brave enough to do the egg fried variety I mentioned the other week).

Also, the pitta does not just come in the plain white so loved by the local takeaway: wholemeal pittas are becoming widely available in many supermarkets, along with the inevitable garlic variety. They can be frozen for use later, but as with other breads, should be put in the freezer as soon as you are back from the shops.

Cooking is quick and easy: heat each side under the grill for a minute or two, just to warm the breads and get the two sides to separate. I usually give them a sloosh under the hot tap beforehand if they’ve been frozen, but a word of warning here: that can lead to hot steam swelling the bread from inside, so care is needed when getting pittas out of the grill and on to the plate.

There are some enthusiasts for putting pittas in the toaster – if you’ve got the thick and thin kind – but I’d do this only as a last resort. Enjoy!