Fluffy omelet with asparagus

For ➍

225 g asparagus, rinsed & tough ends snapped off

8 large eggs, separated

120 g shredded sharp cheddar cheese

6 cl milk

65 g all-purpose flour

½ ts cayenne or paprika

½ ts salt

1 tbs butter

Cut asparagus into 2-3 cm lengths. In a  pan over high heat, bring 25 cl to a boil. Add asparagus and cook until bright green and just tender when pierced, about 2 m. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix egg yolks, 4/5 of the cheese, milk, flour, cayenne, and salt until well blended. Stir in asparagus.

In another large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Spoon about a quarter of the whites into yolk mixture; stir to combine. Scrape yolk mixture into bowl with remaining whites and fold together gently just to combine; do not overmix.

In an  ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat, melt butter; swirl pan to coat. Pour in egg mixture and smooth top with a heatproof, flexible spatula. Cook until edges appear set and dry and bottom is browned (loosen edges with spatula to check), 7 to 8 m.

Transfer pan to oven and broil 10-12 cm from heat until omelet is puffed, set, and lightly browned, 3 to 5 m. Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese; broil until cheese is melted and bubbling, 1 m longer. 

Serve at once from pan, spooning onto plates. 

Asian variant:

225 g asparagus, rinsed & tough ends snapped off

8 large eggs, separated

250 g scallions, chopped

6 cl miso stock

65 g all-purpose flour*

½ ts salt

1 tbs butter

Cut asparagus into 2-3 cm lengths. In a  pan over high heat, bring 25 cl to a boil. Add asparagus and cook until bright green and just tender when pierced, about 2 m. Drain, rinse with cold water. 

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix egg yolks, flour, scallions and salt until well blended. Stir in asparagus.

In another large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Spoon about a quarter of the whites into yolk mixture; stir to combine. Scrape yolk mixture into bowl with remaining whites and fold together gently just to combine; do not overmix.

In an  ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat, melt butter; swirl pan to coat. Pour in egg mixture and smooth top with a heatproof, flexible spatula. Cook until edges appear set and dry and bottom is browned (loosen edges with spatula to check), 7 to 8 m.

Transfer pan to oven and broil 10-12 cm from heat until omelet is puffed, set, and lightly browned, 3 to 5 m. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbling, 1 m longer. 

Portobello burgers

For ➋* 

4 tbs balsamic vinegar 

2 tbs virgin olive oil 

¼ ts Italian herbs 

salt & pepper 

2 large portobello mushrooms 

2 rolls 

a bunch of mesclun 

1 medium tomato, sliced 

1 scallion, diced 

2 slices cheddar cheese 

mayonnaise to taste 

Preheat the grill until very hot (180 ° C). **

Wash and gently scrub the mushrooms. Blot dry with paper towels. Snap off the stems and discard. In a small bowl, beat together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and Italian seasoning. Pour the mixture over the mushroom slices, turning to coat well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Grill the portobello mushrooms, for about 20 m. **

Top the mushrooms with a slice of cheese during the last m of cooking or until the cheese melts. 

Split the rolls in half and grill both slices until lightly toasted about 1 m per side. Assemble the sandwiches by brushing the bread with mayonnaise to taste, then top with mesclun, the grilled portobello slices with cheese, tomato slices and chopped scallions. Serve hot. 

Serve with a salad of lettuce and pine nuts.

* Double quantities for main course.

** Use the preheating to start cooking the mushrooms.

Bright frittata

For ➍-➏
100 g fresh or frozen broccoli florets
100 g fresh white mushrooms, sliced
50 g red bell pepper, diced
2 green onions, sliced thin, green tops included
1 tbs butter
100 g cooked ham, diced
8 large eggs
5 cl water
1 tbs cup Dijon mustard
¼ ts dried oregano
¼ ts dried basil
⅛ ts garlic powder
½ ts kosher salt
100 g cheddar cheese, finely-shredded

Preheat oven to 190°C. Spray a shallow casserole dish with vegetable oil.

Sauté broccoli, mushrooms, red bell peppers, and green onions in the butter until barely cooked. They should remain firm and colorful. Remove from heat and stir in ham. Let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, water, Dijon mustard, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and salt until well combined. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the sautéed vegetables and ham over the top of the eggs, then sprinkle with the cheddar cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 m, until center is set.

Let rest for 5 m before cutting into wedges to serve.

Prosciutto, spinach & basil frittata

For ➋
4 eggs
10 cl whole milk
small handful of grated cheddar*
tiny handful of Parmesan cheese
4 slices of prosciutto, roughly chopped up
5 basil leaves, cut into a thin chiffonade
handful of spinach leaves
freshly ground black pepper

Set oven to 220°C.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add in the cheese, and mix to combine. Season with a good pinch of black pepper.

In your oven safe skillet, cook the prosciutto in a little oil, until crisp. Remove the prosciutto from the pan. Add the spinach to the pan, and keep it moving. When it has just wilted, remove from the pan and coarsely chop.

Into the same pan, pour the egg mixture. Toss in the prosciutto, basil and spinach. Gently mix. Heat over a low/medium heat until areas start to thicken (the egg cooks). When these cooked areas start to form, put the pan into the oven.

Cook in the oven for about 5 m, until the whole thing has just set. To check – reach into the oven (using a towel) shake the pan a little. If the middle of the frittata wobbles, then it is not set yet.

When the frittata has just set, crank your oven onto broil. Put this pan straight under the broiler, and broil to give a slightly browned top.

Cut into slices, and serve with a great tomato salad.

*Omit and raise the quantity of Parmesan.

'Frittata' is the Italian word for omelet, although they are prepared differently, usually started on the stovetop and finished under the broiler. The mixture is cooked over a very low heat, more slowly than an omelet, for at least 5–10 m, even 15, until the underside is set but the top is still runny. The result is an egg dish that is firm, and nicely brown on the top and edges, similar to the Spanish tortilla or the Iranian kookoo. It can contain almost any ingredient, even (left-over) pasta as in an omelet Napolitana.