The filling:
- 8 large free range eggs
- 1 pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch of pink natural sea salt
- 300ml of semi skimmed milk
- 1 handful of grated extra mature cheddar cheese
- 1 banana shallot
1. In a large mixing bowl add your 8 large eggs along with your milk. Using a large balloon whisk, whisk your eggs and milk together till you have a smooth mixture.
2. Next, season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, when adding salt don’t add too much as you will be using grated extra mature cheddar which is naturally very salty anyway .
3. When grating your cheddar ensure to grate the cheddar on the fine side of your box grater, as this will help to transfer the cheese evenly through the savoury custard mixture.
4. Decant your mixture into a large Pyrex glass jug and place to one side, you can keep this out of fridge if you are using this immediately, otherwise place in the fridge in a clean container and then use within the next 3 days.
Roasted aubergine and courgettes
1. To begin, preheat your oven to mark gas 6.
2. Prick your aubergines with a paring knife and lightly oil them with good quality olive oil, now place onto a lightly oiled baking tray.
3. Bake in the oven till roasted golden and gorgeous, you want a little bit of burn on the edges, prick them once more with a paring knife, then when aubergines are popping they are cooked.
4. Allow to cool on a cold service or cool baking tray.
5. Wash your courgettes and then slice them into rings, add into a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil, add a pinch of natural sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
6. Place them onto a lightly oiled baking tray and roast in the oven at gas mark 6 until the courgettes are lightly golden and a little crisp.
To assemble:
1. Lightly oil a large glass Pyrex dish and add your roasted vegetables along with your chiffonade Cavolo Nero (with the middles of the leaves removed)
2. Add your Cavolo Nero to the egg mixture, along with your cooled courgettes, finely sliced roasted aubergine, and now add a finely sliced banana shallot.
3. Give it another hit of seasoning and then decant your mixture into the oiled tray. You want to ensure that the vegetables are covered in the egg mixture as this ensure that they cook evenly.
4. Place into your pre-heated oven and bake until golden brown and little crunchy (should take 45 minutes).
5. To tell when the frittata is ready, use a paring knife like you would with a cake and when the knife comes out clean it is ready!
6. Allow to stand for 10 minutes as this ensures that the cheese sets a little
and helps mould your frittata together.
Red Cabbage sautéed with yellow mustard seeds and brunoised apples:
- 1 Bramley apple (washed and brunoised)
- 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard seeds
- ½ of a red cabbage heart (washed and finely sliced)
1. To begin place a large saucepan onto a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil, once the pan has come up to temperature add your yellow mustard seeds.
2. Cook the yellow mustard seeds until they begin to pop and split as this perfumes the olive oil which the cabbage will be cooked in.
3. Then add in your brunoised apple and cook them out quickly, as you want to retain the juicy sweetness of the apple, which helps to cut through the creamy cheddar of the Frittata.
4. Next add in your red cabbage and allow to sauté on a high heat and until the cabbage is al dente, this will make for the best texture and flavour.
N.B. – by cooking a cabbage in this way you help to retain the colour, freshness and mostly importantly all the goodness.
5. Once the cabbage is ready and piping hot plate onto an artisan plate alongside your frittata and enjoy with a rich bodied Malbec or chianti.
The sautéed cabbage can accompany any meat or fish dish, it is of course entirely vegan perfect alongside pitta and hummus.
Enjoy stay safe and remain healthy
The Gourmet Gent.
The Gourmet Gent 