Bulgaria · Breakfast and Brunch
Balkan Breakfast
A Balkan breakfast is a shared plate eaten across Bulgaria, Serbia and their neighbours: fried sudzuk sausage, eggs, salty white cheese, ajvar, olives and raw vegetables, torn bread on the side.
Ingredients
- sudzuk sausage (Turkish sucuk works too)150 g
- large eggs4
- feta cheese150 g
- ajvar2 tbsp
- ripe tomatoes2
- cucumber1
- green or red bell pepper1
- radishes4
- black olives1 handful
- olive oil2 tbsp
- crusty white bread or sourdough4 slices
- salt and black pepperto taste
Method
- 1Slice the sausage into rounds about 5 mm thick. If using thin sausages like frankfurters or hunting sausages, score two shallow cuts in an X on each end — they'll curl into a flower shape when heated. Pan-fry in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes per side until lightly charred and the fat is rendered. Chorizo and pepperoni work beautifully here — they release their red oil into the pan which adds flavor to the whole plate.
- 2In the same pan, add a little olive oil and fry the eggs to your liking. For the classic Balkan style: sunny-side up with a fully set white and a runny yolk. Season with salt and pepper. A hard-boiled egg works just as well — 7 minutes in boiling water gives a soft center.
- 3Slice the tomatoes into thick rounds, the cucumber into diagonal pieces, and the pepper into strips; halve the radishes. Arrange everything on a large plate or wooden board: eggs in the center, sausage alongside, feta cut into thick slabs, vegetables in a ring around the edges, olives scattered in the gaps.
- 4Add two generous spoonfuls of ajvar — it goes next to the bread, perfect for spreading. Drizzle a little olive oil over the feta and vegetables. Serve the bread warm or toasted. The whole spread should feel abundant — this is not a rushed meal.