Astro Frittata

A simple comfort

This is my basic frittata recipe. It is very simple and comforting, and good at any temperature. We made it everyday at Astro, but I always think about eating frittata in spring.

You can alter the fillings to suit your preference or the season- it is lovely made with asparagus, plenty of dill and a little tangy goat cheese or garlicky mushrooms and thyme; or loaded with finely chopped fresh herbs, added into the eggs before they go into the pan. Squash and sage or rosemary are delicious in place of the potato and kale, as is simply adding a little finely chopped rosemary with the potatoes as they are cooking. A firm cheese such as cheddar or raclette is great in place of the goat cheese.

This recipe makes a 12 inch frittata. If you don’t want to make a 12 inch, the recipe can easily be halved and made in a smaller pan- I usually make a half batch in a 7 inch skillet. I recommend a non-stick pan with an undamaged surface to make this, it will make your life so much easier, and the frittata will be better for it.

You can easily make the filling ahead of time, just heat it well in the pan before adding the eggs.

Astro Frittata

This recipe makes a 12 inch frittata and serves 8-10

2T butter

2T olive oil

1 onion, finely sliced

3 medium potatoes, finely sliced

3 stalks Tuscan/Lacitano Kale

12 eggs

1 cup cream

1 tsp salt, plus extra

3 1/2oz (100g) soft fresh goat cheese

fresh herbs such as dill, parsley, tarragon, chervil to serve

• Preheat your oven to 350/180 (330/160 convection)

• In a 12 inch skillet or non-stick pan, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the onion and sprinkle with a little salt (this helps to release some water, helping to prevent it from burning), then add the potatoes on top and a little more salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes and then add the kale. Continue cooking and occasionally stirring until the potatoes and onions are soft and starting to caramelize- you want all that good caramel flavour- but are not yet falling apart, mind that they don’t catch and burn on the bottom, it happens easily. Remove from the pan into a bowl, scraping out as much delicious flavour as you can, then assess the pan- if there are any bits stuck to the bottom you are going to want to clean it or the eggs will stick to the pan and compromise the texture of the frittata.

• Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a bowl and add the cream. Right before cooking the eggs, add 1 tsp of salt and whisk gently until the eggs only just come together- this is important, adding the salt too far ahead of cooking and beating the eggs too vigorously will damage the protein in the eggs and they won’t be as fluffy.

• Heat your clean pan over medium high heat and add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Swirl it around the pan and when it is bubbling, add the (still hot) potato mixture evenly into the pan, then pour over the egg mix. Allow to sit in the pan for about 30 seconds before gently running a large spatula underneath, allowing runny egg to move to the bottom of the pan. Continue the process, running the spatula gently under as it sets until the frittata is almost completely cooked, but still a little runny on top. Be calm and patient, I think eggs more than anything else respond to the energy of the cook, so be very gentle. As the frittata cooks the time between passes underneath will shorten and by the end you will just about be lifting them all the time. It is helpful to turn down the heat slightly towards the end so that you have more control, as is angling the pan to maneuver the last of the runny egg to the bottom. It is important you don’t let the egg get any colour as it sets, it is merely just setting, and then being lifted up to be replaced by runny egg.

• Take off the heat, scatter the cheese over the top and sprinkle with ground black pepper. Immediately place into the oven for 11-14 minutes, it will vary depending on your oven and it is worth checking every minute towards the end as you do not want it to be overcooked- this will make it dry and rubbery. As soon as the egg in the center is just set- test it by pressing with your finger or a knife- it is done. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan to firm up and then remove from the pan by running your spatula around the sides and bottom and sliding it onto a plate.

• Top with chopped fresh herbs to serve

  

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