Frittata for lunch

Llara and I continue to share lunch meals with the one cooking not cleaning. The one cooking must cook neat.

Here is the frittata she made with the recipe. She added mushrooms as well. And of course our lunch conversation was the same pleasure it always is.

INGREDIENTS·   

• tbsp vegetable oil
• 250g new potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• 450g asparagus, cut into short lengths
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp dried
• 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION METHOD

Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 20 mins

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, over a medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook for 7–8 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Add the asparagus and 5 tbsp water, sprinkle with salt, cover and steam for 10–12 minutes or until the asparagus and potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, tarragon and Parmesan with 1 tbsp of water and pepper to season.

Preheat the grill to moderate. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and swirl it around to cover the vegetables. Cook gently for 4–5 minutes or until the eggs are almost set, shaking the pan from time to time – there will still be some uncooked egg mixture on top.

Place the pan under the grill and cook the frittata for a further 2 minutes or until the top looks set. (If the pan doesn't have a flameproof handle, carefully upturn the fritatta onto a plate, then slide it back into the pan and put it back on the hob to cook the underside.)

Use a spatula to loosen the frittata from the pan and slide it onto a serving platter. Cut into wedges and serve hot or cold. 

COOK'S ALTERNATIVE

The trick for a perfect frittata is to cook over a medium to low heat and allow the mixture to set slowly without stirring. Stirring once the egg has begun to set will break the mixture apart. Too high a heat will burn the base before the egg is set sufficiently to finish under the grill.

COOK SMART

Be sure to use freshly grated Parmesan. It is quite expensive but you don't need to use a lot and the flavour is infinitely superior to ready-grated Parmesan in tubs. * For a vegetarian frittata, use an alternative, strong-flavoured cheese.