This frittata, which is just an Italian omelette, is the mortar of this meal, offering convivial ballast without being too heavy.
If you loathe both zucchini and chevre (goat's cheese), then by all means substitute. Green asparagus is a good idea, as is blanched spinach and boiled Ratte potatoes. But do know that the mint, courgette and goat's cheese work amazingly well together - alchemy at its peak.
They make the most delightful sandwiches too, especially when further fattened with a bit of everything else on the menu, or more explicitly: a little cured meat or tuna, a smear of chopped mustard fruit, and a clump of that white asparagus salad. It will not look glamorous, definitely, but it will be sublime.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
3 fat spring onions, white portion only, finely sliced
1 large courgette, sliced into thin coins
6 eggs
A handful of mint leaves, shredded or chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
125g chevre
Salt
Method
Preheat the oven grill to its max.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the spring onions and sweat awhile before adding the coins of courgette. Don?t baulk, the heap will crumple as it cooks. Season with some salt and fry for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, so they brown in parts and soften exquisitely without turning to mush.
Beat your eggs with two pinches of salt as you wait for the courgette to cook.
Tip the softened coins out of the pan, raise the heat to a high and add the remaining spoonful of oil. Add half the mint and fry until the leaves darken - this should take about 30 seconds. Pour in the beaten eggs. Swirl the pan constantly over the heat and once the base of the frittata firms up, mete the sautéed courgettes and spring onions across its soggy face. Continue swirling just to reduce the pool of uncooked egg marginally.
Crumble over the chevre, strew over the remaining mint leaves and chilli and thrust beneath the glowing grill. Once the frittata's puffy and coming away from the edges of the pan, it's done. It will retain some sexy wobble. That's all part of the plan.
