Simple Frittata

Frittata is a dish great for mopping up those bothersome odds and ends that tend to reside in one’s fridge or pantry. Anything from leftovers to stray fungi, brassicas and lonely chunks of meat can be slung frivolously into frittata to great effect. After all, eggs and cheese go well with many types of food, such is their versatility. Eggs, in particular, have the impressive ability to be at once both happily innocuous and utterly delicious. All things considered, frittata makes a mightily frugal meal capable of transforming all manner of potential waste into something rather special.

The recipe featured below is intended to inform rather than instruct. One needn’t follow the ingredient list exactly; all that is really necessary is the eggs! Of course, the combination below works well, but don’t feel constrained. Throw any old thing at a frittata and you’re likely to come off well – just make sure it’s cooked through. However, if you’re looking for more defined recipes you could do worse than my tortilla.

One ingredient worth highlighting is the rather prettily coloured January King cabbage. It’s a sweet winter variety, similar in texture to savoy. Indeed, it’s actually a type of savoy cabbage capable of withstanding even the harshest of British winters (though I’m not sure about American blizzards). The strong earthy flavour it affords lends itself well to many a cabbage-based dish, both in terms of taste and aesthetics. This recipe for pan-fried chorizo and cabbage would suit it perfectly. However, as with all cabbage, be sure not to cook it for more than a few minutes as it will quickly become unpleasant.

Simple Frittata {recipe}

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 4 medium eggs

• A handful of parmesan

• 1 onion, finely sliced

• 2 mushrooms, quartered

• 2 large leaves of January King Cabbage, thinly sliced

• 6-7 plum tomatoes, halved

• A few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped

• Olive oil

• A knob of butter

• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat the butter along with a slosh of olive oil in an oven proof pan. Begin gently frying the onions and mushrooms, giving them a little colour. Prepare your vegetables.

2. Whisk the eggs and half the parmesan together and add a little seasoning. Once golden add the cabbage, tomatoes and parsley to the pan, spreading them evenly across its surface. Turn the heat right up, add the egg mixture and sprinkle over the remaining parmesan. Heat the oven to 180C.

3. After the egg has been cooking for 2-3 minutes pop the pan in the oven and cook it until golden brown on the top. Serve immediately or at leisure – it doesn’t matter.

Cost: The recipe above will set one back around £1.90. However, if you’re making it with leftovers or food that would otherwise go off the cost isn’t really that important. After all, waste is the antithesis of frugality.