The beauty of a frittata is that anything goes – really, it does! In this case, broccoli is the star, but let whatever is in your fridge take the lead. Always aim for some green as it’s often the green veg that most of us could do with more of.
Not only is a vegetable frittata an easy and delicious way to start your day, but in this case you eat the whole broccoli in all its glory – stems and stalks – and, even better, everything happens in the same pan. If you’ve got cooked broccoli ready to go, then skip step 1 and save time. And if you know you’ll be rushing out the door a lot this week, bake it in a 12-hole muffin tray at fan 170°C/Gas mark 5 for 10–15 minutes for a grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large head of broccoli, florets evenly chopped and stem finely chopped
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 10 eggs
- 2 large handfuls of grated cheese (I use mature Cheddar or you could use crumbled feta or goat’s cheese)
- Sea salt and black pepper
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
- A handful of chopped fresh basil, parsley, chives or celery leaves
- Chilli flakes, to taste
- 2 handfuls of wild garlic, chopped (when in season)
Grab a medium-sized, deep-sided frying pan and steam the broccoli for 3 minutes in about 4 tablespoons of water, lid on, until almost tender and just turned bright green. Drain any excess liquid (though the broccoli will probably absorb it all) and set the broccoli aside.
Pop the pan back on the heat and gently fry the red onion rings and garlic in the butter for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the eggs together in a bowl, add salt, pepper and the cheese, plus any of the herbs, chilli flakes or wild garlic, if using.
Preheat the grill to high. Add the broccoli back to the pan to coat in the garlic butter, then pour in the egg mix, stirring so that the broccoli and onions are distributed evenly. Let the bottom and sides cook and start to set over a medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Pop the frittata under the grill for a further 5 minutes until golden on top and just cooked through (give the pan a wobble to check), then slide it onto a chopping board or plate. Cool for 10 minutes and slice up into quarters.
Extracted from Eat Green by Melissa Hemsley, published by Random House UK, RRP $50.00.
Copyright © Melissa Hemsley 2020. Photography © Philippa Langley 2020
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