Food writer and Instagram star Elly Curshen is the owner of The Pear Cafe in Bristol. She eats a mostly vegetarian diet, with some fish, and loves frittatas. ‘We make one every day at the cafe. We start with eggs, potato and cheddar but then we experiment!’
See more of Elly Curshen’s recipes
Elly Curshen
Food writer and Instagram star Elly Curshen is the owner of The Pear Cafe in Bristol. She eats a mostly vegetarian diet, with some fish, and loves frittatas. ‘We make one every day at the cafe. We start with eggs, potato and cheddar but then we experiment!’
See more of Elly Curshen’s recipes
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Ingredients
1 x 200g pack radishes, top and tailed
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 16 thin wedges
2 tbsp butter
3½ tbsp olive oil
200g frozen leaf spinach
12 medium new potatoes, boiled until tender and cooled
6 large eggs
130g mature cheddar, grated
1 x 28g pack basil, leaves picked
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Put the radishes and onion in a small roasting dish and dot with half the butter. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of the oil and roast at 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6 for 20-30 minutes, until the veg is browning at the edges and the onion is soft. Defrost the spinach according to the packet instructions but do not drain.
Slice the potatoes into thick discs. Heat the remaining butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a 20cm base diameter nonstick frying pan. Fry the potatoes for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown on both sides.
Break the eggs into a large jug and whisk well. Add a generous pinch of salt and a good few turns of black pepper. Whisk well and stir in the cheese. Rip the basil leaves roughly and add, along with the fried potatoes and undrained spinach, and fold together carefully.
Take the roast radishes and onion out of the oven and slice the radishes into halves. Mix the onion into the egg mix and reserve the radishes.
Preheat the grill. Wipe the frying pan with kitchen paper, then heat ½ tablespoon oil over a low-medium heat. When hot, pour in the egg mixture and swirl around to evenly distribute it. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, draw the edges in from the side of the pan, tip the pan and let the liquid egg flow into the gaps. This helps the whole thing set, rather than just the bottom of the frittata. Do this for 5 minutes, until almost set.
Scatter the radishes over the frittata, distributing them evenly. Place the pan under the grill (making sure the handle is not under the grill if it is plastic) and heat for 3-5 minutes until golden.
Remove and set aside to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Slide the frittata out gently onto a chopping board and set aside for 5 more minutes. To serve, slice into 6 or 8 pieces. This is very good served warm or cold.
One reason your frittata is soggy, is that an ingredient you used had water or other liquid that was released when cooking the frittata. One solution, is to drain all ingredients first before mixing, or to reheat the ingredients seperately, until the liquid is removed.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Whisk together and put to one side. Add the peas, broad beans and a good pinch of salt to a pestle and mortar, then pick in the mint leaves and bash to a rough paste.
Frittatas make great use of leftovers, cook up in 15 minutes and are mealtime-agnostic: they don't feel out of place at breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any snack time in between. Plus, if you have leftovers, frittatas reheat quite well, making them a double leftover combo.
This also holds true for aromatics, like onions, and sturdy veggies, like raw potatoes. "They won't get much more tender once you add the beaten eggs," says Perry, "So cook them fully before combining everything." Don't be afraid of getting a little color on the vegetables: That's what makes them so delicious!
Some good options include cheddar, gruyere, feta, and goat cheese. Add flavorings: Enhance the flavor of your frittata by adding herbs like thyme, rosemary, or basil, or spices like paprika, cumin, or chili powder. Pre-cook vegetables: Cook any vegetables you plan to add to the frittata before adding them t.
I like to use an enameled cast iron skillet, which does not require any pre-seasoning. If you don't have a skillet, go make this breakfast casserole recipe instead.
If the center is still liquid, you've got to cook longer. If it's almost set, cook the frittata a few more minutes, then remove it. As long as the frittata is still in the hot pan, it will continue to cook. That's why it's important to pull the dish from the oven as soon as it reaches that "set" stage.
The answer is a ratio. For every six eggs, use 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 cup cheese, and 2 cups total of vegetables and/or meat. This will get you a frittata with a hearty filling — especially if you're using something like potatoes and bacon — and a creamy egg custard shot through with the tang of cheese.
Crust: A quiche has crust while a frittata does not. Sometimes, quiche is baked without crust. Base Ingredients: While both frittatas and quiches are made with eggs, quiche is made with an egg custard, which also includes cream or milk.
Pre-seasoning the eggs with salt helps them retain moisture during cooking. Cooking the vegetables in batches gives us more control over their texture. Keeping the cheese in large chunks gives us oozy pockets in the frittata. Flipping the frittata ensures a creamy, dense center.
Cook the frittata in the oven just until the centre is no longer wobbly and the edges are golden-brown. If still unsure, place a knife into the centre of the frittata. If raw eggs run out, keep cooking. You want the eggs to be just set as the frittata will keep cooking while it's standing.
Frittata is an egg-based Italian dish similar to an omelette or crustless quiche or scrambled eggs, enriched with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, or vegetables. The word frittata is Italian and roughly translates to 'fried'.
Why is my frittata watery? It's really important that you cook the vegetables before pouring over the egg mixture, especially if the vegetables have a large water content. In the case of this baked frittata recipe, the spinach, in particular, needs to be well cooked.
When you pour in your eggs, let the frittata set for a couple of minutes on the stovetop. Then keep an eye on it when it's in the oven, and take it out when it's still a touch jiggly—not quite creme brulee-level jiggly, but when the top is a still a tiny bit shaky, get that frittata out of the oven and serve it warm.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Carey Rath, I am a faithful, funny, vast, joyous, lively, brave, glamorous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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Prep time: 50 mins
