Recipe for Basic Frittata
Unlike their soft and creamy French cousin, these omelettes are cooked slowly over a very low heat during which time you can be whipping up a delicious salad to accompany them!
A frittata is cooked gently on both sides and cut into wedges like a piece of cake. Omit the tomato and you have a basic recipe, flavoured with grated cheese and a generous sprinkling of herbs. Like the omelette, though, you’ll occasionally want to add some tasty morsels, to ring the changes perhaps some spinach, ruby chard, calabreze, asparagus, smoked mackerel etc. The list is endless but be careful don’t use it as a dust bin - think about the combination of flavours before you empty your fridge.
Serves 2-4
8 large eggs, preferably free range organic salt and freshly ground black pepper
85g (3oz) Gruyére cheese, grated
30g (1oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
2 ta/p parsley, chopped
1 ts/p thyme leaves
30g (1oz) butter
1 dessertspoon basil or marjoram
Non stick pan - 19cm (72inch) bottom, 23cm (9inch) top rim
Whisk the eggs in a bowl, add the salt, freshly ground pepper, fresh herbs, grated cheese into the eggs. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan. When the butter starts to foam, tip in the eggs. Turn down the heat, as low as it will go. Leave the eggs to cook gently for 12 minutes on a heat diffuser mat, or until the underneath is set. The top should still be slightly runny.
Preheat a grill. Pop the pan under the grill for 1 minute to set but not brown the surface.
Slide a palette knife under the frittata to free it from the pan. Slide onto a warm plate.
Serve cut in wedges with a good green salad and perhaps a Tomato salad.
