Anything that is meant to be set just right “with a slight wobble to it” intimidates me. Cheesecake, crème caramel, quiche, custard pies..I fear you. The first recipe that I came across for a frittata looked pretty simple to follow, ingredients accessible, but the oven timings “varying widely” bit really got to me. I chickened out.

We usually end up eating out on the weekends. Checking out new restaurants flaunting different cuisines/fusion menus (re-fried beans replaced with green beans in a taco..don’t even ask), that’s our scene. Did I tell you about the time that I found chorizo in Chennai and yelped with joy? I had some sitting around in the fridge waiting to be used up along with some leftover spinach, and a frittata was the first thing that came to mind. Armed with my 2 packs of eggs (my husband eats only the whites and is a vegetarian, so that made me go through 1 whole pack for him so I made two separate pies), I very meekly set about this challenge. Amateur tip – watch them eggs like a hawk.

The eggs were perfectly set – slightly gooey because of the cheese, the flavours were delicious, and Sunday brunch turned out to be a real treat! The combination of chorizo and oven-dried tomatoes really elevated this frittata and made it so much more than just a glorified omelette.

INGREDIENTS : (Serves 2 – 3)

(Baking instructions from Martha Stewart)

5 large eggs

60 grams chorizo, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 large tomato, sliced into ½ inch rounds

A few sun/oven-dried tomatoes (optional)

1 onion, julienned

1 clove of garlic, minced

30 grams spinach, coarsely chopped

¼ cup plain flour

50 grams grated Cheddar

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt

Fresh basil leaves (for garnish)

METHOD :

Pre-heat oven to a moderate 190 C (375 F) and butter a 9 inch baking dish.

Sauté the chorizo in a small pan until crispy. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for a further 4 – 5 minutes until the onions soften and turn translucent. Add the spinach to this and cook until it just starts to wilt, about 1 minute. Take off the heat and set aside.

Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy in a bowl; add the grated cheese, flour, salt, and pepper and mix until it’s all well incorporated. Tip in the slightly cooled onion, spinach and chorizo and stir through.

Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish and place the tomatoes in an even layer over the top. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the eggs are just set, but still slightly moist in the middle. (Check it after 20 minutes and keep an eye on them as you don’t want the eggs to set hard). Place a few sun-dried tomatoes over the top along with a few basil leaves, and serve immediately.

 

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