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.
If meat and vegetables figure into your frittata, cook them in the pan before you add your eggs—and I leave mine ever so slightly underdone. That way, they don't get soggy when they keep cooking in the oven (and I tend to like my vegetables with a little “bite” anyway, but it's a personal preference).
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.
Tough vegetables like potatoes, squash and onions need to be pre-cooked since they will not have time enough to soften before the eggs are done. Raw meats such as bacon and sausage also need more time and heat to cook through safely, so get them prepped before your other ingredients.
The green-gray color (and the whiff of sulfur smell that often accompanies it) comes from the reaction of iron in the egg yolk and sulfur in the egg white. When heated, the two can combine to make green-gray ferrous sulfide and hydrogen sulfide gas.
Explanation: When determining how many eggs to use in a frittata, generally 2 eggs per person is sufficient. In the context of recipes and cooking, the number of eggs required will often depend on the scale or size of the meal being prepared.
The food site also specifically recommends a properly seasoned cast iron skillet for this task. Not only will its all-metal construction make cooking in the oven a worry-free feat, but it will also add to the quality of the frittata.
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.
Replace cover on the skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the egg is lightly browned on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip the frittata and cook until the bottom is again lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes more.
The egg to dairy ratio: If you are making a smaller frittata use 6 eggs and 1/4 cup of dairy, and if you are making a larger frittata use 12 eggs and 1/2 cup of dairy.
The best side dishes to serve with frittata are mixed green salad, garlic bread, waffles, cinnamon rolls, bagel bites, biscuits, potato rosti, roasted vegetables, fresh fruit salad, grilled asparagus, tomato and mozzarella salad, home fries, and quinoa tabbouleh.
You can add up to 1/2 cup per dozen eggs. Don't overcook! Overcooking eggs makes them rubbery. When you remove the Frittata from the oven, it will continue to cook, especially if you are using cast iron, which retains heat well.
The USDA says food that has been left out of the fridge for more than two hours should be thrown away. At room temperature, bacteria grows incredibly fast and can make you sick. Reheating something that has been sitting at room temperature for longer than two hours won't be safe from bacteria.
Next, use a fork to whisk the eggs, completely incorporating the yolks and whites into one sunny yellow mixture and whipping in a small amount of air for extra fluffiness. Since dryness leads to dense, chewy eggs, this is a chance to boost your eggs with some extra moisture.
As the frittata bakes, the eggs will expand and puff up. That can leave them with a spongy texture that's dry and unappealing. You want to combine the eggs well, but stop once everything is fully incorporated.
Introduction: My name is Kerri Lueilwitz, I am a courageous, gentle, quaint, thankful, outstanding, brave, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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Prep time: 50 mins
