Quick and easy garlic pitta bread

This recipe uses pre-made pitta bread and can be made from start to finish in under 10 minutes.  Garlic bread is a great accompaniment for many dishes and this garlic pitta bread is a great alternative to garlic baguettes that many of us tend to enjoy.  Not only is it a healthier option, but pitta bread is relatively cheap allowing you to create individual slices for friends and family as you dine.  The inspiration for this came from a meal we enjoyed in Coté Restaurant in Brighton, and as we had some pittas that needed used up, this was a quick side to eat with a chicken salad we were preparing.

Ingredients:

• 2 –  3 pitta bread
• Half garlic clove
• Handful of fresh parsley
• Knob of butter
• Rock salt for seasoning

Serves – 2 people

Cooking and preparation time – 10 minutes

1. Preparing the pitta bread

Score the top layer of the pitta bread diagonally several times making sure not to cut through to the bottom layer.  This score will help the butter and flavours go through to the layer below.  For our garlic pitta bread we used white pitta bread but wholemeal would work just as well.

2. Top the pitta bread with your ingredients

Spread a generous layer of butter over your pitta taking care not to tear the scored top.  Crush or finely chop the garlic clove and roughly chop the parsley.  Sprinkle the garlic and parsley over the top of the pitta and finish with the rock salt (normal salt with do if you don’t have rock salt).  Rock salt helps to bring out the flavour but don’t be too heavy handed.

3. Cook and enjoy

Place the garlic pitta bread under a medium grill and cook for 3 – 5 minutes until the butter is melted and the pitta bread has a nice, golden finish.  Make sure you don’t burn the garlic as this would be extremely bitter.  Once cooked, remove and enjoy.

For an added taste experience why not add some grated cheese to the garlic pitta bread before placing in the oven.