Dodgy Omelette

World Cup, Day 4 - France

Omelette

Day 3 proved a great day for Italy, with a 2-1 win over a young English side. The ragu was a success too! I had planned to make 'poule au pot' today but after a long day at the Kildare County Show in Athy, I decided to make an omelette instead.

It was inevitable. At some point during this project, one of the dishes wasn't going to work: but I didn't expect it to be an omelette! It wasn't that it didn't taste good, it was fine even if there was a little too much cheese, it was the texture that got me. It was a strange consistency; dry but soft. I normally make Italian style frittatas that have a crust but an omelette, I'm told, shouldn't have one.

I used:

2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
6 Duck Eggs
40g grated Sheep's Cheese
1 tbsp finely chopped Fresh Parsley
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

I gently mixed the eggs, cheese and parsley together before adding to the heated oil. I stirred well, let set for 10-20 seconds and stirred again. I repeated this for a few mins until almost everything had set apart from the last little bit. I moved the last bit of liquid around with a spatula to fill in any gaps before finishing under a grill to set the top. I served it up with (very un-French) Norcia-style sausages. I thought it would be delicious but no - DO. NOT. MAKE. THIS!

Eggs in Hell!

Eggs in Hell

A few weeks ago I had a message on my Facebook page recommending me to try 'Eggs in Purgatory'. A basic recipe was included with the tip that it makes a great hangover cure. Never one to shy away from a couple of glasses of red, I put it to the test! It worked a treat and I have been adapting it to my tastes ever since. 

After changing a few things I decided to call it 'Eggs in Hell' as the chilli should set your tongue alight, while the chorizo (or prosciutto) adds a slightly salty hit to balance the dish. Don't use pre-sliced chorizo: buy a stick of hard chorizo, remove as much of the casing as you need and chop off a piece. Cover with cling film and keep it in the fridge, it'll last quite awhile!

Serves 2

2 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Clove Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Green Chilli (finely chopped)
1 Inch of Hard Chorizo/Prosciutto (finely chopped)
1/2 Tsp Dried Oregano
150g Tomato Passata
1/2 Tsp Sugar
3 Medium/Large Eggs
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Caciocavallo/Pecorino/Parmesan to Serve

1. Add the oil to a frying pan over a medium heat and add the garlic, chilli, chorizo and oregano. Season and stir. Cook for 7-10 mins until softened but be careful not to burn the garlic.

2. Add the passata and sugar and bring to the boil before gently cracking in the eggs. Cover the pan and cook until the whites set but the yolks remain runny. Sprinkle the top with plenty of pepper. Finish with a good grating of the cheese of your choice. Serve with plenty of good crusty bread. Enjoy!

Special thanks to Adrienne M. Bolger for mailing me the recipe for 'Eggs in Purgatory'!

Simple Supper(s) 2

The Quick Supper

I really started to enjoy cooking when my work was a little quieter. I had time to put on four hour slow roasts, make beautiful Ragu Bolognese and try my hand at some more complicated dishes. In the last few months, my work has really picked up and in an effort not to fall back into my old habits of take aways and convenience food, I have been making and experimenting with some great dishes that come together in minutes. All of these recipes serve 2.

1. Spaghetti with Tomato and Basil

Pasta is my best friend normally but especially when I need to whip up something really quick. The 7-10 minutes it takes to cook is the perfect amount of time to bring a wonderful sauce together.

Cook 200g of Spaghetti according to packet instructions but drain 1 minute early, reserving some of the cooking water (I usually drain over a cup to catch some of the water). Meanwhile, heat 2tbsp of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil over a medium heat and add 1 finely chopped clove of Garlic. Cook for 2 minutes and add 8-10 halved Cherry Tomatoes and season with Salt and Pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add 10 torn Basil Leaves. Cook for 1 minute and add the cooked Spaghetti to the pan. Mix well and add a few tablespoons of the Pasta Cooking Water to create a beautiful sauce. Serve with a little Parmesan sprinkled on top.

2. Stir Fry

Is there anything quicker? Comes together in minutes and, if you put in a little effort, can be absolutely delicious! I like my veggies kept practically raw so if you want them softer, cook for a bit longer before adding the lime juice, fish sauce and honey.

Heat 1-2tbsp Groundnut Oil in a Wok/Frying Pan until really hot. Rub some Sea Salt and Pepper into a good sized Sirloin Steak and cut it into 1cm strips. Add to the hot pan and brown all over. Add some thin strips of Carrot, Red/Yellow Pepper, Chilli, whole Green Beans/Sugar Snaps and some chopped Spring Onion to the Pan and toss well, Season and add some Bean Sprouts, the juice of 1 lime, 1tbsp Fish Sauce and 1tbsp Honey. Mix well and add some cooked Noodles, cook for 1-2 more minutes and serve with extra Bean Sprouts and chopped Spring Onion on top. 

3. Spicy Crashed Eggs

I really like this dish, its fiery and colourful and tastes great!

Heat 1tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add 1 finely chopped Chilli (seeds in if you like it hot), some finely chopped Red/Yellow Peppers and 1 finely chopped clove of Garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes and season well. Add 2 torn slices of Prosciutto (or whatever ham you like) and continue to cook for a couple of minutes. Break in 6 Eggs from high above the pan, allowing them to splash a bit (mind your arms!). Season and cook until the whites have set but the yolks are still runny. Finish with a good sprinkling of Pepper and some chopped Spring Onions. Serve with a Salad and plenty of Crusty Bread for Dipping!

I'm off to Rome on Wednesday so expect a rant about the beautiful Eternal City next week!!

Charcuterie Frittata

Charcuterie Frittata

At the moment, after receiving a big delivery from Italy and going a bit too wild at a farmers market, my fridge is full of all types of meat! I have Salami from Brescia, Calabrian Nduja, Prosciutto di Parma and Kerry Chorizo (I know, I couldn't believe it either!) along with the usual Bacon, Beef and Chicken. I have become a big fan of all types of charcuterie lately and decided to bring a few together with the greatest ingredient known to man....eggs!!

Obviously not everyone will have different types of cold cuts available but try to mix at least a couple and where possible try to buy Salami/Chorizo whole or as a piece rather than pre-sliced, the difference in flavour is incredible! I used a mix of Salami, Chorizo and Nduja (spreadable, spicy salami) here which balanced extremely well with the Nduja adding a sizable kick in terms of heat. If you dont have Nduja but want some spice, add some chilli with the onion and proceed as normal. I used green beans in this recipe as its all I had in the fridge but I wouldnt change it now, they add a great texture and keep their crunch as are only cooked for 2 minutes. The little chunks of Cheese are like hidden gems in the Frittata and again try to use different types. Cheddar should be easy to find and if you can't get Pecorino sub in some Parmesan instead.


Serves 2

1tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
60g mixed Charcuterie (finely chopped) [I used Salami, Chorizo and Nduja]
1/2 Red Onion (finely chopped)
1/2 Red Chilli (finely chopped) [optional, not needed if using Nduja)
80g Green Beans (cut into 1cm lengths)
6 Eggs (beaten well)
20g mixed Cheese (cut into small chunks) [I used an Irish Farmhouse Cheddar and Pecorino Romano]
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat the Oil over a medium heat and add the Charcuterie, cook for 5-6 minutes allowing the juices to come out and flavour the oil. Add the Onion and Chilli (if using), season lightly and cook for another 5-6 minutes until soft. Add the Green Beans and Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring all the time.

2. Add the Cheese to the beaten Eggs and season lightly. Add to the pan and stir well to ensure an even spread of filling and cheese. Continue to stir for approx 1 minute until you see the first signs of the egg setting. Cover with foil or a lid and let cook for 5-7 minutes until cooked through. Turn out and cut into 8 Pizza style slices. Enjoy!

Frittata

Leftovers Frittata

One of the best things about cooking a big Sunday Roast has got to be the leftovers! For some reason, everything seems to taste better the next day, even more so when you add a few extra ingredients and turn it into a whole new dish. Yesterday I cooked Braised Beef, Roast Chicken and all the trimmings for my family and it seems that no matter how many there are to be fed, there's always plenty of leftovers. Sometimes these make their way into Curries, Stews or even Salads but this time I decided to go for a Frittata fit for a King!

This can be eaten hot but is also delicious served cold with some salad.

Serves 6-8

5tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Red Pepper (cut into strips)
1 Large Yellow Pepper (cut into strips)
1 Clove of Elephant Garlic (or 2 normal cloves) (finely chopped)
Leftovers! (I used Beef, Chicken, Roast Potatoes and Mash) (roughly chopped)
12 Eggs (beaten)
10g Freshly Grated Parmesan
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper


1. Fry the Peppers and Garlic in the Oil over a medium heat for 10 mins. If the Peppers get slightly charred on the edges all the better. Add the leftovers, season well and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes.

2. Add the beaten Eggs and stir well to ensure they've made their way to the bottom of the pan, season again and allow to cook until a crust has formed at the bottom and it has set most of the way to the top.

3. Put the Frittata under a pre-heated hot grill and allow to set on top. Sprinkle over the Parmesan and a little Pepper and place back under the grill until the cheese has melted. Cut into wedges and serve with some Salad or Crusty Bread.

Variations

This Frittata can be made with almost any leftovers so whatever you have should work! Try adding some grated Cheddar into the Egg mix to give extra richness and fresh Herbs will add a real depth of flavour.