Friday, August 13, 2010

Pea and Potato Frittata

Another weeknight, and I'm sick of the usual. So I looked up Nigella and found something do-able: a pea and potato frittata. But her recipe doesn't have enough veggies for me, so I doubled this and halved that, added some herbs, and called it dinner.

Nigella's recipe calls for the onion to be diced before it's sautéed. I don't like little squares of onion in my eggs, but for some reason I don't mind shreds. In any case, I think onions taste sweeter when they're cut into half moons, so I sliced my onion instead.

I also added marjoram to give it a lovely velvety sweetness. If you don't grow marjoram, a little thyme would go nicely with the potatoes and onions; or you could always use that infinitely versatile herb, flat-leaf parsley.

I served a robust winter salad of beets and carrots on the side, and between the softness of the egg and potatoes, and the crunchiness of the salad, it all came out rather nicely!

Potato and Pea Frittata

- 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced into half moons
- 200g potatoes, peeled and diced small
- 150g frozen peas
- 8 eggs
- 1 tbs marjoram, chopped
- a generous handful of grated parmesan
- salt, pepper
- olive oil

Place the diced potatoes in a saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 5 or 6 minutes, then drain. Boil the kettle. Place the peas in a bowl, pour the boiling water over them, and leave them to soften.

Warm a good drizzle of olive oil in a wide skillet. Fry the onion until it softens, then add the potatoes and cook for 7 or 8 minutes. Don't brown the veggies, just let them cook through. Drain the peas and add them to the skillet. Cook for a few more minutes, then remove the vegetables to a bowl.

Turn on your griller.

Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Season, and add the marjoram and parmesan. Add the vegetables and stir to combine.

Reheat the skillet with another drizzle of oil, if necessary. When it is good and hot, pour in the egg mixture – it should immediately frill around the edges. Turn down the heat and cook at medium heat for 7 or 8 minutes, running a flexible spatula under it from time to time to prevent it from sticking. When it is mostly set, but the top is still runny, place it under the griller for a minute or two. It is done when the top puffs slightly.

Remove from the heat. Run a flexible spatula underneath it, hold a large plate against the pan, and flip! Sprinkle with extra herbs, and serve.

This tastes best tepid. My husband ate it with beetroot relish on the side.

Adapted from a recipe by Nigella Lawson in Forever Summer.

(Local: onions, potatoes, eggs, marjoram, olive oil. Not local: peas, salt, pepper, parmesan.)

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